


The Free Man In Prison.

by MaiAri



Category: The Voice (US) RPF, The Voice RPF
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Prison, Angst, Assassination, Blood and Gore, Dark Past, Drama & Romance, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Prison, Rape/Non-con Elements, Romance, Slow Burn, be nice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-05-16 01:29:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 22
Words: 131,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14801774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaiAri/pseuds/MaiAri
Summary: Falsely accused and imprisoned for life, Adam quickly learns the rules - Get a job.  Be careful who you associate with.  And stay away from the Deer.





	1. Wrongful Conviction.

**Author's Note:**

> So many thanks to my lovely beta [Funtimewriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Funtimewriter/pseuds/Funtimewriter) ... You're an angel, luv.

**Chapter 1**

The air was oddly cold that afternoon, with the scent of rain lingering about. The dark clouds veiled the blue sky, obscuring the light and painting the streets with pale colors. In the middle of his scattered thoughts and shaking nerves, Adam heard a thick voice calling his name. A police officer stood by the bus door, holding a long paper with names printed on it. The officer was in a blue uniform, which had a little tag, reading “LA State Private prison [LASP].”

It was a good prison, some people said. Adam stared at the tag for the longest time. It still didn’t make any sense. What was he doing in this place? Adam shouldn’t have been here.

It was all just a big mistake.

~~******* ~~

  
Adam was a keen man, independent and very comfortable with himself. He was a ball of excitement, a little stubborn for his own good but very passionate about his thoughts and ideas. He wasn't weighed down by the troubles of everyday life, and was always himself regardless of the situation. He lived his life to the fullest, and didn't like planning ahead, choking his day with stressful schedules and mind-numbing routines.

He rarely stayed at home. There was something happening almost every day, a little dinner party with work colleagues maybe, drinking out with friends, a date, or even something as simple as family dinners with his Aunt Sandy. His engagement to Carrie didn’t change his lifestyle very much. They met at work. People used to say that she was the female version of him. She was just as wild, loud and outgoing as he was, if not more.

Adam was a reveler. His constant partying got him into a lot of trouble, from neighbors complaining about the noise to getting into stupid fights with strangers during a drunken haze. Sometimes, he would let his short temper do the talking for him, but he was not evil in any way. He tried to be a loving boyfriend, a nice neighbor and a good friend.

He loved his job, and considered himself one of the few lucky ones, who genuinely enjoyed what they did for living. He was a car salesman (a hell of a good car salesman) at his uncle’s dealership. It was not a big lot, just a small family business his Uncle George inherited from his mother after she passed away. His uncle always said that Adam could sell anything, even if it was a potato sack. It made Adam a little cocky. He knew he was valuable to the dealership, and that made him a little careless. He would miss work a lot, stay in bed hungover from a night before, or stay home just because he didn’t feel like going to work. His uncle never made a huge deal about it, but occasionally threw some shade on the subject at the family’s gathering.

Adam wouldn’t dare say that his life was perfect, because it was not. Nothing is. He struggled with money a lot, had women breaking up with him and people using him for their own good. But he was a happy man, and he rarely complained.

That’s why it didn’t make any sense when he was pronounced a killer at court and was sentenced to life. It happened too fast, too sudden, like a quiet wave that came without a warning and washed everything over to the bottom of the ocean.

It was on a Thursday night.

He came back home around eleven at night, a little drunk. That day, his friend got a big commission after he’d sold a Mercedes, and he insisted on buying drinks for everyone. Adam had a couple of martinis at the club and some scotch from his friend’s flask before he got into the cab.

After the cab driver dropped him off, Adam realized that he was still a couple of blocks away from his house. So, he decided to walk the short distance. From a few yards away, he could clearly see that the lights of the living room were turned on in the windows. The door was slightly open, too. He remembered being worried that someone had broken into his home and stolen his stuff. He rushed into the house, and left his briefcase on a table next to the front door.

That was when he saw it - blood. It was everywhere, on the floor, the chairs, and the rugs. A woman was lying next to his dining room table, on her stomach, moaning and breathing heavily, her blond hair swimming in a pool of blood beneath her.

He felt dizzy. He’ had never seen so much blood in his life. He had to hold on to a chair so he wouldn’t collapse on the floor.

It was Mary, their neighbor’s daughter. She had the phone receiver on her ear and she breathed hard into it. When she saw Adam, she smiled and started saying his name again and again and again until she just stopped, her brown eyes closed gently, and her lips froze. As he walked closer, he found a knife next to her – his kitchen knife – bloody shoe prints and a glass of wine with her lipstick on it.

He sat next to her and shook her, trying to wake her up. His drunken brain still couldn’t process the fact that she’d already died. When he turned her on her back, his body immediately jerked away and started shaking. She was stabbed, four times. Her white blouse had four wide cuts in it and was soaked in blood. That was when he realized that some of his fingers were covered in blood, too. He wiped the blood on his shirt in an attempt to get it off him, but it’d gotten under his nails.

Adam did not have to call 911, because a second later, Adam heard the sirens outside his house. He was not an idiot. He knew exactly what this looked like for him, and knew the moment these cops asked him to step away and put his hands over his head that he’d just become their number one suspect. He remembered thinking that there was no way he was going to jail.

The cops gave the case only two weeks of “thorough” investigation before they accused Adam of being the culprit. His lawyer couldn’t do anything for him, except ask Adam to plead guilty. He said that there was too much evidence pointing at him. The knife that killed Mary had no other fingerprints but Adam’s. The cops found one of Adam’s white shirts, stained with Mary’s blood, a few miles east from Adam’s house, accompanied by a pair of bloody shoes that were also Adam’s. The fact that Mary kept repeating his name on the phone didn’t help either, because her 911 call that night had been recorded.

His lawyer said that he could get Adam a life sentence with a chance of parole if he pled guilty, since he was a first-time offender. Adam refused, at the beginning. He had done nothing wrong. He kept repeating that again and again, but no one believed him, not even his lawyer. He could not explain the bloody shirt, or the shoes, or the reason that girl was in his house in the first place. He could only hope that someone believed him.

But no one did. His friends refused to give their statement. No one saw him at the club and the police couldn’t find the cab that drove Adam home. In other words, he had no alibi. His lawyer’s hands were tied and he made sure Adam knew that very clearly. He kept saying that if he pled guilty they were going to send him to a private prison that was “high on human rights,” and had minimum security.

Adam finally broke when one officer mentioned a death sentence. It had Adam shaking with anxiety. He didn’t want to die like that, not with everyone thinking that he was some cold-blooded murderer. His mother would have had another stroke if that were to happen. So, he decided to take his lawyer’s advice. He pled guilty.

Adam only remembered flashes of what happened after. The cold look on the judge’s face, his fiancée Carrie avoiding his eyes and Mary’s parents, crying when Adam was only sentenced for life, not death. At some point after the judge left the room, Carrie approached him and gave him the ring back, which he didn’t even get to keep. It crushed him, when she turned her back to him and walked away. She used to say that she knew him better than anyone. How could she think he killed that girl?

~~******* ~~

  
“Adam Levine,” the man called again, looking at the inmates’ faces one by one. He looked impatient, as he glared at their faces.

There was no way out of this. The realization made his heart ache, tears burning at the back of his eyes already. “I’m here.” Adam raised his hand.

The man signaled for him to get up. “C’mon, your next. Hurry up!”

Adam got up with a heavy heart, and walked out of the bus.

The high concrete walls were the first thing Adam had noticed when he stepped out. He couldn’t see anything behind them, and had to wait for the huge gates to open. Intimidated by the new place, Adam didn’t realize that he was frozen in place, getting in the way of the rest of the new prisoners. The cops pushed him forward with no concern for his safety, and he stumbled forward.

He walked behind a short line of men of different shapes, sizes and races. They were all instructed to go forward toward a big door that took them to a small room, where they were asked to wait.

Adam sat down on a wooden bench and bowed his head in defeat. Most of the new inmates were already BFFs, talking and laughing about how it didn’t take them long to come back. Some had a heated argument about some drug, while others just sat there like him, head down as they waited.

After the long wait, the new prisoners were taken to the bathrooms, where they had to shower in front of strangers with shotguns. Adam did not really mind. He liked his body, and was proud of it. Besides, it was like showering at the locker room, nothing too extreme. What he really minded, and hated to the deepest point of his core, was the “cavity search,” which meant that he had to have all his “holes” inspected for sharp weapons and controlled substances. And yes, one of the holes they had to search was his butthole. Adam refused to do it at first, which gave the other inmates something to laugh at, but one of the officers convinced him with a very persuasive threat and a thick shotgun pointing at him.

It was humiliating, to put it in one word.

After the shower, they were each given an orange jumper, which was ironic. Adam had always said that the only way to get him to wear that hideous color was by sending him to jail. They didn’t even give them any underwear, saying that they were going to change their clothes again after the “reception.”

After they got dressed, the inmates were led to a room, where they had to sit down with an officer and answer a whole lot of personal questions. “Have you ever attempted suicide?” “Do you have any STDs?” “Do you have any family member who is currently in jail?” These kinds of questions.

After the questions, they were all led to a large cell that had nothing but wooden benches, a toilet and a sink. There were seven other prisoners in there, and with Adam’s group added, the total number jumped to thirteen. After the new inmates were shoved inside, the bars closed immediately, without any additional word.

“Welcome to the reception!” A man’s voice rose up, roaring with laughter.

Adam stood in his place for a few minutes, eyes wandering around, following any sudden sound. He didn’t know what to do, or where to go. There weren’t any empty seats except the one close to the toilet. Everyone was avoiding that bench, and after Adam smelled that toilet, he no longer wondered why.

A man called Fred Von asked him to sit down, because he was distracting everybody. He even asked his friend to make some room for Adam. Adam thought that he was being a nice guy, so he accepted the gesture and sat between the two men.

After he sat down, he had a moment where he wanted to cry. He couldn’t believe that this was actually happening. It didn’t matter how many times he closed his eyes and reopened them, he was not having the most horrific nightmare of his life. He had a look around, and imagined how his life was going to be in this place. There was no space to move, there was not much to do and there was no respect for one’s privacy.

Adam stayed at the reception for two weeks, where he hadn’t seen any daylight for days, showered only once and had to sleep on the wooden benches if not the floor sometimes. Using the toilet was tricky, since he always waited until the lights were off and everyone was asleep. The smell that came out of that place was unbearable sometimes, and Adam had felt like throwing up a couple of times.

The food was delivered to them in boxes, three times a day. It was different from one meal to the next, but the menu was always the same throughout the week. Breakfast: scrambled eggs, two slices of bread and an apple for dessert. Lunch: Potato and egg salad, and another apple. Dinner, macaroni and cheese with chicken pieces cut in it, and a slice of a sweet oatmeal cake for desert. The food was not bad at all, to Adam’s surprise, but after a few days of eating the exact same thing every single day of the week, it started to get a little bit redundant.

At the reception, Adam learned a few things about the prison. An old man cared enough to explain for Adam. The prison wasn’t minimum security, as Adam’s lawyer said. It housed some very tough, violent convicts, and even had a maximum security unit with death row inmates! That’s why the guards had to be violent with the inmates sometimes.

The facility consisted of three blocks, the old man told him. He said that LA State Private Prison, or, as they called it, LASP, was the one of the very few prisons in the United States that offered a “pay to stay” program, where politicians and celebrities could relax in a quiet, hotel-like wing, away from the general population. The inmates called that wing the X-unit.

Adam was interested in that, so he asked about the cost, and was dumbfounded when the old man answered, “First, you need a good lawyer, which already is very expensive. Then you need to pay at least $100,000 for every year. The moment you stop paying, you’re kicked out.”

That was disappointing.

Another week passed in that horrible place, and Adam hated every second of it, especially with that guy, Fred, coming his way. At first, Adam genuinely thought that Fred was a nice guy. There was nothing about him that scared Adam in any way. He looked in his forties and was short and a little overweight. His lazy black eyes crept around the cell under thick curls of brown hair. He was always laughing and talking about women and men that he’d fucked, which, other than his vulgar language, Adam didn’t find anything wrong with. However the old man warned Adam, and told him that Fred was actually a rapist.

After Adam found that out, he started to avoid being around him. Fred began calling him a princess, laughing at him. He would get in Adam’s way a lot, pinch his butt, and even talk about how Adam needed a real man to unleash the whore in him. It was so disturbing that Adam couldn’t sleep through the night sometimes.

Luckily for Adam, he was a first time offender, so he got called out after only 24 days. It was relatively a short time compared to some of the prisoners at the reception, who had been there for over 70 days.

Adam was taken to a clinic, where he had everything tested – his blood, ears, eyes, prostate, etc. After that, he was taken to a psychiatrist, who talked to him for a few minutes, showed him a few pictures and asked him about what he thought of them. The therapist told him that the session was to evaluate him on a metal level, and to determine whether or not he was a violent guy. The evaluation lasted for a whole hour maybe a little over, but the results came immediately. He heard the doctor tell the office that he was safe.

The therapist then asked Adam if he’d been tested for OCD? Adam told her that he, indeed, had mild OCD. At the age of ten, his mother got him tested for OCD, when he started doing a few things in certain way. It was things like tying his shoelace three times, rolling up his sleeves before his meals, and eating his desert first before anything else. He never had any medications for it, since the therapist told his mother that it was not aggressive. That’s why he refused the medications when the prison doctor asked him if he would like to sign up for treatment. He was doing just fine without them.

It was already four when the all the tests ended. He was then led to a room, where they had to log down all the tattoos he had on his body into a computer. It took them forever to photograph each and every one of them. Adam had a lot of tattoos, and he was proud of every single one of them. After it was all done, he was finally taken to another building. A female employee signed him up for the third block, and made him sign a legal form.

They entered the new building through a gate that connected the two buildings. A man felt the prisoners around for sharp metals they might have stolen, and then let them pass. Adam had to wait in a small overcrowded room. There were about twenty prisoners waiting in there, so there was no place for him to sit down. Three minutes later, the men in the room were asked to line up in a single file. A door opened, and Adam saw a couple of stairs followed by an open space.

There was a little “welcome party” behind the door, thrown by the older prisoners. And by party, Adam meant endless staring, creepy smiles and laughter. Unlike Adam, the new prisoners kept their eyes down and walked in silence. But, being the inexperienced idiot that he was, Adam thought that if he showed them that he wasn’t scared, everyone would just leave him alone and not get in his way like Fred did to him.

Adam didn’t want to mingle with anyone. His eyes wandered around, looking at nothing in particular. He wasn’t sure what, exactly, he was looking for. Maybe he wanted to predict the state of living by studying the condition of the other prisoners? They didn’t look in a bad shape. Most of them were clean, sharp and holding themselves together pretty well. It was different from what he was imagining. He was expecting tortured guys, dirty clothes and dismembered bodies or something. So seeing them in that state was, actually, relieving.

Before the new prisoners disappeared inside the building, Adam’s eyes fell on a man standing by some rocks stacked together. He was in a blue uniform, and was so tall that the guy whispering close to his ear looked like a hobbit. His face was straight, clear of any emotion. His ice-cold blue eyes almost froze Adam in his place when they looked at him. It was uncomfortable, the way that guy looked at Adam, barely blinking at all. It was as if he could look through Adam’s soul, see his darkest secrets. Adam frowned at him, and held eye contact until they disappeared into the building.

As they were ushered to the showers, Adam started examining the place. They walked through a wide aisle, which had cells along both sides. As they continued ahead, Adam noticed the cells, lined up in two floors. They had white bars and were all identical. Adam couldn't exactly see what was inside, but he could tell that every cell was a mirror to the one that followed. ‘This is the third block,” Adam heard someone say. As Adam looked farther up, he noticed a third floor that looked nothing like the bottom two. It looked dark from down there, and Adam couldn’t really see much. At the end of the hallway, there was a door that took them a narrow hallway. The hallway had two doors. One of them led to the bathrooms.

This bathroom was actually much better than the one from before. It was divided into two sections. The first section had over twenty narrow, short stalls, providing a fair amount of privacy. Each stall was narrow and had a single shower head, in addition to sample-size bottles of shampoos and soap. The second section was at the back, and had toilets, sinks and mirrors, along with some towels and toilet paper.

After the time allowed to shower was out, the new inmates were given their clothes – a white tank top, black boxers and socks for undergarments. In addition to that, they had a blue uniform.

As they were guided to their cells, they were given a few things that they were going to need: a heavy blanket, toothbrush, toothpaste, and black sneakers that looked a little too cheap. In addition to all of this, they were given a small brochure and were instructed to read it very well.

It was six thirty by then. The huge clock on top of the front door said so, which meant that the Leisure Time was about to end, according to one guard. The guard, responsible for showing the inmates their cells, was a little too rough with the prisoners. He would yell at them, shove them into the cells and ask them to make their beds before lights were out.

Adam was one of the new inmates that were paired with already existing prisoners, and that got him worried. His cellmate was not around when he was shoved into the cell, so, Adam had some time to check things out.

The cell was small, barely allowing any movement. The bunk bed, on the right, was taking too much space. The walls were painted white, but covered in all kinds of writings and scratch marks. There was a small window at the back, covered in rusting bars, and a pair of shelves under it. One of the shelves had three books and one small box. The other shelf had toilet paper. The toilet was the worst part about the whole cell, not because it was dirty or even broken, but because it was shoved in one corner of the room, attached to the sink and with nothing to respect one's privacy.

Since the bottom bed had a pillow on it and some covers, Adam figured that it was taken. Adam took off his shoes and climbed the ladder, feeling the cold metal through the thin material of the socks, and sat on top, with his legs hanging down. The sheets were already made, so the only things he really did were spread out the blanket and place the pillow in its place. It gave him some time to read the brochure he was provided with.

There were only four pages, made out of cheap paper. The first page was for the prison's schedule, the second was for the jobs available and the salaries, the third was for the rules and restrictions, and the fourth was for phone calls and visits schedule. Adam focused more on the schedules and jobs.

“05:30: Wake up. 06:00: Doors open. 07:00: Breakfast. 08:00: work\craft. 13:00: Lunch break. 13:30: work\craft. 16:00: backyard time\walk. 19:00: return to cell and dinner. 23:00: lights out and sleep.”

That was their daily routine, not too different from any working day. The jobs were a little trickier. Adam had the option to choose not work. The jobs available were strange, some were dangerous, and the salaries were too low for the kind of work they had to do. Some had as low as $20 per month.

Adam was still trying to figure out the jobs, when a loud bell rang, almost ripping his heart out of his chest. Then, a few minutes later he heard people talking and yelling in the hallways. According to the brochure, that meant the prisoners were returning to their cells. Adam saw the inmates walk by his cell in a straight line. Some were laughing, others just walked in silence. Adam was waiting anxiously to see his cellmate, and was praying he was a nice guy.

Finally, his cellmate showed up – short black man with funky sunglasses. When he saw Adam on the top bed, he took off his sunglasses and checked the other man out. They stared at each other for the longest time. Adam didn’t know what the protocol was, did they shake hands? Did they high five? Did they ignore each other? So he waited for the other man to say something first.

The inmate was chewing on a piece of gum as he looked at Adam up and down, and the sounds he made as he chewed made things more awkward. Finally, he spoke. “You're new?” he asked, taking off his blue shirt to stay in his white t-shirt. He had some great ink on his arms, colorful and bold. One in particular took Adam’s attention. It was a red and green dragon, wrapped around a lady.

“Yeah. I'm Adam,” Adam answered, offering his hand to the man, but his cellmate ignored it.

“What you in for?” the inmate asked, folding his arms at the level of his chest.

“M-murder,” Adam admitted. The word was like an alien in his mouth. “Bu-“

He didn’t have the chance to tell the guy that he didn’t do it. The man chuckled. “Me too,” the man admitted. He offered his fist for Adam, Adam pumped it with his own. “I’m CeeLo Green. Everyone calls me ‘C’ or ‘The Shark’ around here.”

“The Shark? Why is that?”

“I bit a man's fingers off, once,” he said with a proud smile that scared Adam a little. “I saw that son of bitch, driving around town with the girl I love, and I was like… I’m gonna kill him, which I did, but not before I chopped that motherfucker’s fingers off.”

Adam’s chuckled nervously, feeling uncomfortable. “Well… It's nice to meet you, C.”

“Likewise, bro,” he said, still standing up but leaning against the wall now. “So, you decided on a job, yet?”

“Oh, urm...” He was still flustered by CeeLo’s confession. “I don't know. I don’t see something that I can do, really.”

“If you’re willing to work –and trust me, you want to – you need to choose before tomorrow. Otherwise, they’ll put you in the kitchen with Samuel. And you don't want to be in there. You'll be stuck with an asshole who thinks he's Gordon Ramsay. The security is low in there, and it's freaking hot," CeeLo said, keeping eye contact the whole time. “If you don't see anything that you like, stick with laundry. It's simple. You can always change later.”

Adam was listening, carefully. “If I chose not to work, is it okay?”

CeeLo nodded. “Well, yes and no. First, the food here sucks, so to get some okay quality you need to pay for it. If you don’t work, you get the free meals, which are…”

“Bad?”

CeeLo sighed. “Bad is a huge understatement.” He shook his head. “Anyway, the guards are tougher on unemployed inmates. You’ll be forced to clean the bathrooms, the chow hall, the backyard… And you won’t even get paid. So, trust me, you need a job.”

“Thank you, man!” Adam smiled. “That’s really helpful.”

“Sure.” CeeLo smiled, tipping his head a little “Oh, and no matter what happens, stay away from The Deer. You don’t want to anger them.”

“The Deer?” Adam’s eyebrows furrowed. He was confused. “You mean, like, the animals?”

“No, it's like some kind of Mafia or mob.” CeeLo finally lay down on his bed and talked to Adam from there. “It's Shelton and his folks. If they don’t like you, they’ll turn your life into a living hell. They won’t let you live or even die.” There was a little pause before CeeLo continued. “They have been here for only two years, but managed to get everyone at their feet.”

“That’s a little harsh.”

“A little?” CeeLo exclaimed, raising his voice a little. “These assholes have it so easy! They stay in the third floor. They call it the X unit, which is basically for spoiled-ass celebrities and politicians who can pay for a more comfortable stay.”

He sounded bitter. Adam didn’t blame him. “Is this what the third floor is for?”

“Yeah, they are treated differently.”

“Is that even legal?”

“Around here? Yeah.” CeeLo sighed. “Most of them are harmless, but The Deer, are... Just stay away from them, trust me on this one. They are cold-blooded assassins, and literally are on top of everyone around here, including the management.”

“So, you can’t make friends with them?”

“You can, but… it’s not easy, though. They have certain taste and prefer to stay around each other. But…” CeeLo said, edging his head out if his bed to look up at Adam. “Some might pay you for, you know, regular sex. Especially Shelton. He’s open about it. They call him Sugar Daddy. Every now and then he’d pick someone to be his… you know, ‘companion,’” CeeLo said, quoting the word “companion” with his fingers. “If he picks you, you get to stay upstairs, and have anything they have.”

Adam’s lips parted a little. “Are they gay? All of them?”

CeeLo disappeared again in the bed under Adam. “No. But this is a prison, dude, and you need, you know, relief. Married inmates would leave it for conjugal visits, while others wouldn’t mind using a pretty boy.”

“And that’s Shelton?”

“I heard he does both. He meets regularly with a blonde woman. But generally, he’s with his boys. If you want to have some of the privileges they have, just work on getting invited.”

“I don't think so!” He shook his head at the idea. He was no gay. “I’ll be fine on my own. Thank you anyway.”

“You’re welcome!”

Adam then looked down. “By the way, that's some cool ink you have there, man,” he complimented. “I have some tattoos too, but that dragon on your arm, man, is a piece of art!”

CeeLo was interested, so he asked Adam if he could see. Adam was always happy to show off his collection, especially the mermaid piece on his back. CeeLo seemed impressed with most of them, and it gave them something to bond over. CeeLo was nice, a little rough around the edges but generally sweet. Adam hoped they could be friends. He seemed to know his way around and that was what Adam needed.

Dinner was served to their cells in boxes, which was a great inconvenience, because there were no tables to eat. CeeLo got to sit on the floor and use the bed as a surface. It made Adam a little jealous. He wished he had the bottom bed, so he could do the same. But at the end it didn't matter too much, because there was not much need for a table. He could just use his spoon.

The lights were off at eleven, indicating it was time to sleep.

Adam's first night in the cell was horrible. CeeLo was a snorer, which kept Adam's eyes open for the longest time. It reminded him of his first night in the college dorms. His roommate was a snorer, too. The idea that he was in his college room comforted Adam. He could just close his eyes and pretend he was there, not prison. And it worked. His eyelids started to feel heavy and he fell asleep soon after.


	2. Chapter 2

 

The loud bell rang at 5:30, indicating it was time to wake up. Adam’s back was sore because of the bed. The mattress was too thin and barely provided any comfort. The small window was not doing a great job moving the air around, so the cell was too humid and smelled of sweat. CeeLo got up, and spent a few minutes making his bed, brushing his teeth and washing his face. Adam did so too. His plan was to follow CeeLo around, and do as he did. Maybe that would help him figure this place out. At six, the bars automatically slid open, and everyone was out.

Adam still found it hard to believe that he was actually in this place. His eyes wandered around, curious and nervous. The slightest move from the men to his sides startled him. They were all lined up in front of their cells, bent down a little bit, as a correctional officer counted their heads.

A voice came out of the speakers in the walls during the count, announcing the phone call schedules for the day and the arrival of the weekly mail. The voice also instructed the new inmates to choose their jobs, and sign up with the responsible employee after breakfast. Adam had already made his mind to pick laundry, like CeeLo advised.

After the count, the inmates started walking to where they were going to have breakfast, the chow hall. It was a spacious area with a lot of rectangular tables and chairs. Some big tables were surrounded by eight chairs, while others in the middle were smaller and only had four chairs.

Adam’s eyes wandered about, watching the prisoners heading towards a pass-through window that opened to the kitchen. Inside, there was a man, growling and screaming at the inmates, calling them “the worst society had to offer.” Adam guessed it was that Samuel, the cook CeeLo was talking about. His cellmate was right. Adam did not want to get stuck with that man.

When Adam looked at the breakfast, he was mortified. There was about four free choices for breakfast, three cheap ones and two for the expensive meals. They were all arranged on a table in front of the window. Adam wanted to take one of the good plates, but didn’t have any money. So, he had to settle for the one of the free plates, which horrible. Everything was either watery and soggy or dry, the bread was not toasted and the dessert was an orange juice box.

Busy exploring, Adam didn’t realize that he’d lost CeeLo until later after he’d taken his plate. He tried to locate him but the hall was too crowded and loud.

Finding a chair to sit was a challenge, because most of the chairs were already taken. The only chairs left were either broken or next to the trash. Adam did not want to sit next to the trash, so he decided to look for a chair as he walked around. In the middle, he saw an empty seat that, for some reason, everyone was acting like it did not exist. Adam walked to it as fast as he could, desperate to get there before anybody else. He was relieved when he did.

There were three men around the table. The man on the right was short. His angry blue eyes looked around too much under short strands of dirty-blond hair. The man in the middle was buff, rock hard with bulging muscles. He had brown eyes, trimmed brown hair and soft features. The man on the left was tall and had grayish brown hair. Adam couldn’t see much of his face because he was holding his head in his hands as if he had a headache. Adam recognized him, though. He was the tall guy from his first night in prison.

“Hey, where the hell do you think you’re sitting?” the blond man yelled with a thick southern accent. Adam was taken aback for a second. He was expecting disapproving stares, maybe some snide comments but not a dry ass welcome.

“It’s not taken, is it?” Adam said, sitting down anyway.

“No it’s not, but you still can’t sit here,” the short guy said, putting his fork down as if he was getting ready to fight. “So, get the fuck up.”

“What kind of logic is that?” Adam said, noticing the guy’s hands curling into tight fists. “Chill, man. It’s just a chair.”

“You need to get up now,” Blond man said again. Adam did not want to make any troubles, so he tried to be as polite as possible.

“Look, you said the chair is not taken,” Adam said, a little sharper than he intended. The tall man sighed, he didn’t look up though. So, Adam just continued, and put the straw in the juice box. “I’m not getting up. So, you’re gonna have to deal with it.”

The buff guy held his friend’s arm, as if to stop him from doing anything crazy. That should have been Adam’s clue that the man was nuts. “You really need to leave, now,” Buff man said, calmly.

Adam rolled his eyes. “What’s the hell is with you people?” he said. “It’s just a fucking chair! Chi….”

Suddenly, the tallest guy’s head went up. He looked at Adam with angry blue eyes before he kicked Adam’s chair so hard it moved a few inches away from the table, taking the Adam away with it. Shocked, Adam, accidentally, inhaled some juice and started coughing uncontrollably for a few moments.

“Go away,” the tall man said, glaring at Adam.

Adam got up, staring at the giant in disbelief. He stomped to him, shaking with anger. “What is the hell is wrong with you, asshole?!” Adam shouted, standing a few inches from the tallest one. He didn’t stop to look at the people, looking at him like he was a madman.

The guy looked at him once but didn’t say anything. “Hey, I’m talking to you, get the fuck up.”

The short guy was the one who got up and pounded the table so hard. The tall man hissed at the sound, proving that he indeed had a headache. “You better take your stinky ass away from here, or I swear to God, I’m gonna rip your arms off!”

“I’d like to see you try!” Adam said, walking to him. Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm and pulled him backward. It was CeeLo. “Hey, let go of me!”

“You need to stop, come with me,” CeeLo said, having a serious look in his eyes as he looked at the three men, especially the tall one. “Don’t mind him. He’s new here.”

“Don’t apologize to him! He’s an obnoxious jerk,” Adam said, swinging his arm to get away from CeeLo. The juice box was still in his hand and it sprayed all over the tall man’s face and clothes. CeeLo almost froze in his place. The sounds dimmed and the people watching Adam stopped talking. The tall guy touched his face and then looked at his wet fingers.

CeeLo grabbed Adam tighter and brought him away from the table. “What the hell are you doing? I told you to stay away from Shelton! Weren’t you fucking listening?”

That was when Adam knew, he fucked up. He froze in his place, while CeeLo stepped in front of him.

“Blake, he’s new and a fucking idiot.”

“Hey!” Adam yelled, not fond of the naming. An angry look from CeeLo stopped him from saying anything else.

“I’m gonna kill him,” the blond guy said, breaking a fork in his hand. “I don’t care new or n-”

Shelton held his hand up, stopping him from saying any more. “Just take him away,” Shelton said, not bothering to look at Adam.

“You need to apologize,” CeeLo said to Adam. Adam did not like it, and shook his head. “Do it now,” he whispered, pulling Adam closer.

“I didn’t do anything wr–”

“I said take him away!” Blake yelled, freezing the words in Adam’s throat. This time, he was looking at them, and he looked like he wanted to empty a gun in their heads.

CeeLo grabbed Adam’s arm and dragged him behind, leaving Adam’s breakfast on the table forgotten. They didn’t stop until they reached a point where CeeLo knew Shelton couldn’t hear.

“Are you fucking out of your mind?” CeeLo said, leaving Adam’s arm go finally.

“I didn’t know! I thought you said they stayed in the third floor.”

CeeLo sighed and rubbed his face in his hand. “They eat with us, you… God! You’re lucky he didn’t break you in half right then and there. I’ll say it again, stay away from ‘The Deer.’ You don’t want to be their new target.”

“I said I didn’t know. They’re the one made a big deal out of a fucking chair!”

“That chair is for their boys! Every now and then, Blake picks a guy he’d like to fuck, and that chair is for that one lucky guy.”

“Lucky?”

“Because he gets protection, and –” CeeLo shook his head. “You know what, if you weren’t listening to what I said last night last night, that’s not my problem. I’m not going to repeat this shit.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Adam, you caused a huge scene on your first day. I can only imagine what you are going to do next! I can’t get sucked into this. I’m not gonna drag my ass to hell with you. So, you’re on your own, buddy. I am not coming to your rescue anymore.”

Adam sighed as he watched CeeLo walking away. Did he overreact?

~~******* ~~

After breakfast, Adam signed up for laundry with the employee conveniently sat at a table next to the door. Adam did not know what to expect when they guided him to the laundry room. He was just hoping it was going to be as simple as CeeLo had told him.

The prison was running a dry cleaning business from inside the facility. So, they weren’t just doing the prison’s laundry, but also had actual customers outside the prison. The room was divided into three sections. A section at the back that had all the detergents and the baskets, the one in the middle had all the washing and drying machines and the last section had the ironing boards.

Adam was assigned to the ironing, which kind of sucked. It was not because he didn’t know how to iron, but because the prison used steam irons, which engulfed him with a layer of hot steam that kept his body sweaty, irritated and frustrated.

The work started at exactly eight. There were already a number of dried clothes that needed ironing from the day before. Adam took a deep breath, looked at the shirt in front of him, and started ironing it like he ironed his own shirts. At first it was fine, but then, his feet hurt from standing up too much, his body got hotter because of the steam, and his patience was bleeding out.

A bell took off four hours later, indicating it was time for the lunch break. Some lunch boxes were distributed and the prisoners were allowed to go outside for lunch. The cool fresh air outside that room was the best thing he’d felt all day. He just sat in his place, closed his eyes and let the air cool his overheated body. Fifteen minutes passed, and his box was still closed. He was not as hungry for food as he was for this air. Yet, he knew he still had four more hours left, and he was going to need his energy. He comforted himself with the idea of a long, cold shower after he was done with this.

After lunch, they went inside and started working again. The break definitely helped him get some energy back, but it wasn’t for long, because soon, he started to crumble under the pressure again. He busied himself with a conversation someone tried to start with him, which took the edge of his frustration off. Later, he wasn’t sure what brought the subject of showers up but he remembers telling someone that he was so ready to take a shower after they were done.

“Too bad, showers are only twice a week,” the inmate in front of him said.

Adam’s arms stopped moving, and he almost burned the shirt he was ironing. He was not sure what he was feeling, frustration, anger, exhaustion or disappointment? He couldn’t understand how someone could shower only twice a week. He sure couldn’t do it. He was already feeling sticky and knew that he was going to lose his mind with this shit on his body.

At the end of their shift the alarm went off again, and everyone stopped what they were doing. They were guided outside, where a gate opened to a wide area they called it the backyard. It was not the prettiest thing he’d ever seen in his life, but it was the best thing he’d seen all day. The air was cool there, and the greenery was nice. There was a wide playground on the left, where prisoners played baseball. There were a couple of tables, chairs, benches and large rocks around the high walls.

Adam was not interested in all that. He spotted an empty table and sat there by himself, head on the table as his arms wrapped around himself. He was freaking out on the inside already, and could not believe that day was just a sample of what was to come. Suddenly, Adam heard his name being called, and saw a guard, looking for him. When the guard found him, he signaled for him to come to him.

“You have a visit,” the officer said.

Adam couldn’t believe what he heard. How could he have a visitor? He didn’t even have anyone on his visitors’ list. His friends had bailed on him in court, his mother was sick and in a wheelchair, and his girlfriend broke up with him. He had practically no one left to visit.

Who was it?

**~~***~~ **

Adam was led to a room at the main building, where he was cuffed behind his back and followed by two guards with shotguns. When he got to the room, he sat by a table that had an officer behind it. The officer explained to him that there was someone outside claiming to be his friend, wanting to visit, and that Adam could refuse seeing them if he wanted. When Adam asked for the name, the officer showed him the paper. When Adam saw the name, his breathing slowed down for a second.

It was Jesse Carmichael, his high school best friend.

Adam couldn’t think of one good reason why Jesse wanted to visit. Adam and Jesse used to be childhood friends. They were so close, almost inseparable. However, in college, the two of them took different paths. Adam joined a frat house called Theta, while Jesse stayed the nerd he’d always been. He stayed his friend, of course, but he was no longer the first one Adam invited to his parties. Hell, he wouldn’t even invite him most of the time.

Adam agreed to see Jesse, solely because he was curious why he was there.

One of the officers that brought him, unlocked the cuffs around his wrists and sent him to the visiting room, where he had his telephone visit.

It was quiet in the room. There weren’t many visitors that day. Adam’s eyes wandered around, looking for his friend. He was not what he looked like now. They hadn’t seen each other for so long. Behind one of the thick-glassed windows, a man with short brown hair was sitting on a chair, looking at him. It took Adam one look into the familiar blue eyes to recognize his old friend. He hadn’t changed much.

Adam walked to the window carefully and sat down. They stared at each other for the longest time. Adam wasn’t sure how to feel or what to expect. He wouldn’t have blamed Jesse if he gloated in his face, even laughed. Adam had been a jerk to him all these years, and he deserved all that. But Jesse didn’t. He simply looked at Adam with eyes that Adam couldn’t quite read.

Finally, Jesse grabbed the phone receiver and pointed at Adam’s, gesturing for him to do the same. Adam hesitated, thinking about ending this visit right then. Yet, he really wanted to know why Jesse came. He grabbed the receiver and put it over his ear.

“Hey, man,” Jesse greeted with a little smile. He sounded down. “Still remember me?” he chuckled, nervously.

Adam swallowed hard as he nodded. “Of course, Jesse.”

“Mickey is outside,” Jesse said, scratching his short brown hair. Mickey was his friend in high school. He moved to California during the third year in high school and bonded over music and cars. “They said only one of us could come in. So he’s going to visit you next time.”

“Thank you, for coming.” Adam did not know what to say, so it stayed quiet for a long while again. They looked at each other, as if trying to figure out what was the right thing to say. Adam wanted to cry. He’d never wanted anyone to see him like this. His chest felt so tight, and his hand was tight around the phone.

“I’m sure you didn’t do it, Adam,” Jesse said, to break the ice. His words sent a wave of relief within Adam, making his shoulders relaxed a little. “Not just me, Mickey, too. He wanted me to tell you that. We tried to visit you a few weeks ago, but they said it was not allowed, because you were in some kind of reception.”

Adam nodded, still too emotional to say a word. Jesse seemed to understand, so he kept talking himself.

“We couldn’t come to the court either. I was in Seattle, Mickey was at his wife’s parents’ in Boston. When we came back we learned about what happened, and we couldn’t even…” He paused and shook his head as if he couldn’t believe this was happening either.

“It’s okay,” Adam said, before clearing his throat. “I… really appreciate this visit. Honestly! I know I was a jerk to you...” Adam started but Jesse stopped him before he finished.

“Don’t do that,” Jesse said. “Don’t apologize.”

Adam bowed his head. “I… I don’t know what came over me in college. Jesse, there’s no excuse for what I have done.”

Jesse sighed. “You wanted different things, Adam. A different life, and there’s nothing, nothing wrong with that. You may not have taken the right path to achieve it, but that doesn’t make you a bad person. Just a good person with bad choices. I’ve known you since we were seven, dude. You’re a good man. I want you to know that I believe in you. We all believe in you.”

Tears started burning at the back of Adam’s eyes. He smiled through them. “So, you’re not mad at me?”

Jesse smiled back at him, and shook his head. “Nope. Besides, I kind of started a Facebook page dedicated entirely to hating you.”

Adam’s laughter wrinkled the sides of his eyes, squeezing a tear out. “Well, that explains the death threats I have been having,” he joked back.

“Yeah.” Jesse nodded, eyes glistening with tears too. “We sent a lot of those.”

It got quiet again, where they just looked down to wipe their tears. Jesse was the first to talk again. “Your mother is fine, by the way. I know you’re worried.”

Adam nodded. He was indeed worried sick about his mother. He looked at Jesse and took a deep breath, and let it out with some relief. “How’s her heart?”

“I talked to her doctor,” Jesse said. Adam smiled, gratefully. “He said that she’s going to be fine. I’ll be visiting her on Wednesdays and Mickey on Sundays.”

“You live like a thousand miles away from her,” Adam reminded.

“So? I have a car. It’s a thirty minute ride,” Jesse said, shrugging. “I just want you to stop worrying about her, and just take care of yourself. We’ll try and have your case reopened. I’m already talking to some lawyers.”

“You don’t have to do this.”

“I do,” Jesse disagreed, grinning. “I need you to get out, so I can kick the living shit out of your stupid ass.”

Adam laughed out loud, earning him a warning from the guards at the door. They were instructed to be quiet.

“Where did that come from?” Adam asked

Jesse was giggling too. “Heh, built up jealousy, I’m still a little salty about you being chosen to be a Theta frat boy, and I wasn’t.”

Adam chuckled. “It was not as nice as you think.”

Jesse cocked eyebrows. “Yeah?”

Adam shrugged. “The house smelled like a rotten animal most of the time. It drove me insane.”

“Your poor thing,” Jesse said, giggling. “I forgot about your crazy little habits. Does it still bother you when people leave things on couches?”

Adam grunted. “Please, don’t put the image in my head. How many times should I say this? Couches are for sitting down! You don’t put your shit on it!”

Jesse laughed out loud. “Mickey’s wife will love you,” he said, pressing on the word “love.” “She’s a little OCD, too. She freaks out when things are not in place.”

“That’s called common sense. I love her already.”

The hour they were allowed for the visit passed by too quickly, but they talked about a lot of things, connected some dots. Jesse had a job as a contractor. He was not married and did not have a girlfriend, apparently. He was still as nice as ever, a little nerdy as well. Adam was so happy to see that Jesse hadn’t changed too much. He was still this sweet kid that looked at things from every angle before judging.

There were only two minutes left on the clock. Jesse got his face closer to the thick glass, suddenly, surprising Adam. “Look, I asked around, they said you can call anyone you want. If you ever feel like you want to talk to someone? Just call us, alright? We will try our best to visit you every week. So ...”

Adam shook his head, a tear already fighting to get fall down. He didn’t want this visit to end but… “No. Don’t do that. You have your lives. I’m going to be fine.”

“We can come every week! I asked!”

“No Jesse,” Adam repeated, firmly. He didn’t want his current image to stick in his friend’s head. “You just take care of my mother, that’s more than enough. Okay? Please.”

“Are you sure you want this? We can arrange it between Mickey and me. I’ll visit you this week, Mickey will visit next week. You know, so, you wouldn’t feel alone.”

“I would love to see Mickey next week. But…”

“Wrap it up, boys!” the guard yelled.

“Please just… just take care of my mother. That’s all I’m asking.”

Jesse nodded.

“And…” Adam’s voice choked on tears. “I am so, so sorry again for how I treated you guys. God, I was… I wish I could go back and change all that!”

“Stop apologizing! We are not mad!” Jesse said, before his eyes got distracted by the guards heading towards Adam. “We all believe in you, Mickey, your mother, your family and me! We’re all behind you. You’re not alone.”  
“Times up.”

Adam ignore the guard for a second, keeping his eyes on Jesse. “Thank you. Really.”

Adam did not want to leave, but the tears in his eyes were threatening to fall and he was not going to let Jesse see him sobbing like a child. After he said his goodbyes to Jesse, the guard guided him back to the door. As he walked back, he finally let his tears roll down his cheeks and into his beard. His heart was aching, and chest was closing so tight on his lungs he couldn’t breathe.

As he was being cuffed at the smaller room, the officer asked him if he wanted to add Jesse to his visitor’s list? Adam agreed. He also added Mickey’s name. By the time he was done, the door opened and another prisoner came in. He was not cuffed like Adam, and walked without an extensive watch. Adam looked up at his face and found that it was Shelton.

They are really treated differently in here.

His tearful eyes met Shelton, and for a second Adam held eye contact very well. That cold gaze in that man’s eyes did not scare Adam anymore. But then, Adam remembered CeeLo’s warnings, and decided he didn’t want trouble. At least not right then. As the guard took Adam away, Shelton grabbed Adam’s arm so hard he pulled him back one step. The tall man did not say anything, but only looked at Adam right at his eyes and face. His expression couldn’t be more unreadable. Adam was not in a good mood to play the scared cat, so he yanked Blake’s hand off.

“Don’t you fucking touch me,” Adam shouted, glaring at Shelton.

“Hey!” the guard that brought Shelton yelled loudly. But a single look from Blake shut him up. Adam’s guard just took Adam away to avoid trouble.


	3. The Invitation.

Things got worse at LASP. The pretend game was not working for Adam anymore. It was stupid to compare the prison to his room in college. There was no college dorm in the world that was so dirty, so insufferable or so cruel the way that prison was. Living in that small cell was unbearable, mind numbing and soul eating.

There were so many things to hate in that place and too little to do about it. Some nights, Adam would wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of his cellmate peeing in the dark, and other times worse – taking a dump. The smell that came out of the toilet was enough torture for any crime within itself. Adam would bury his nose in his pillow that smelled like cheap detergent until the stink flew away through the small window. Sometimes that wouldn’t even work, so he had to power through the stink. And it wasn’t like air fresheners were allowed to make things easier. They were considered flammable materials.

The small space was what Adam struggled with the most. He felt claustrophobic, trapped in a tiny cage. Every day, after the leisure time in the backyard was over, the inmates were forced to go back to their cells, where they had to stay in bed for four hours, doing nothing, until the lights were off to sleep. That made it total of ten hours in bed with nowhere to go. Sometimes, Adam would get off of his bed and pace back and forth in the small space to comfort his cramped body and aching joints, but that barely scratched the surface of the problem.

There weren’t much to do, either. There was no TV, no music and no activities of any kind. The books they received every week were either in Spanish or something that bored the hell out of Adam’s already numb mind. The only entertainment Adam had was the sound of CeeLo’s beautiful singing voice and stories.

Adam tried to keep it all this in. It was not like him to complain. But he couldn’t hold it for too long. His heart knew that he didn’t belong, that he was not supposed to be in this place. He had his first break down on the last Saturday of April, where he abruptly stopped working in the middle of the day and headed for the door. His body was weeping, every cell of it begging for the comfort of a cool breeze. However, the moment he opened the door, the motion sensors picked up on him, and an alarm took off. The guards refused to believe that it wasn’t an attempt to escape, and he was sent to solitary confinement.

Solitary confinement, or as other prisoners called it “Solo” or “the Hole,” was an 8 feet square room, not much larger than a king-size bed. It was where inmates were sent to “rethink their actions.” It was not made to torture the hell out of their soul and make them feel like small worthless animals, not at all. It was dark, small and empty. To sleep Adam had to lie down on a cold, solid floor that made his bones suffer as much as his soul did.

Adam was still enraged when he was taken there for the first time. He was banging on the iron door, screaming at the top of his lungs and calling the management “sadistic, inhuman and a group of lazy ass fuckers.” Those words reached the warden and he granted Adam extra three days at solo in addition to his original one day. At first, Adam thought it was fine. At least he did not have to work another second at that laundry room or share a cell. Eventually, the room did exactly what it was designed to do. It broke him.

It was pitch black, except of that little window at the door, where food and water were served. In there, Adam found out his darkest fear – emptiness. He hated how small the room was, how quiet and how lonely. It felt like he was in a grave, six feet underground. He was not surprised anymore that some inmates called it the hole. Adam never wanted to be sent to this place again, feel dead ever again. That was why he never tried to get in trouble again.

Adam was still to find a friend, which was an additional reason to add to his suffering. Adam was not a loner. He never liked to stay alone in one place, and was always looking forward to meeting new people. However, it was hard to make friends in that place when he knew that everyone in that place had a criminal record.

Adam would sit by himself most of the time, looking around, or watching a violent baseball game. He would take a long walk at the exercise yard, but that was only on Sundays, their day off. The only time he would talk to people was when he was when Jesse or Mickey visited him. Those idiots didn’t listen to him and decided to visit every two weeks. He treasured that one hour he spent with them each visit.

He would also talk to CeeLo, but the black man didn’t want to do anything with him outside their cell, not with the way Adam kept getting in the way of the Deer. By then, Adam knew the names of Shelton’s group: Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton. Adam tried his best to stay away from them, but somehow he still managed to get into one more fight with Blake.

It happened three weeks after Adam’s first encounter with the gang. Adam was heading towards a table at the back, when someone bumped into him and caused him to drop his $3 breakfast. It was Blake. The tall man didn’t apologize. The only thing Adam got from that obnoxious jerk was a cold gaze.

“Hey!” Adam called, a little pissed. His brain knew the risk of yelling at Blake, but his short temper refused to listen. Blake didn’t stop. Adam stomped to him and grabbed his arm so hard the other man turned around and looked at him. His height almost froze the words in Adam’s mouth. “Y- You need to pay for that!”

Blake looked in Adam’s eyes for a couple of seconds, dead serious, and then he glanced over at the plate on the floor, and back at Adam.

“Not my problem,” he said. His voice was monotone. He jerked his arm away from Adam’s grip making Adam stumble forwards, and walked away.

“Asshole!” Adam shouted at him, shaking with anger.

He’d been watching that jackass for a few weeks. He was acting all tough and powerful around the place. It annoyed Adam. He was not special, he was a fucking prisoner! Someone needed to put him in place. Well, maybe Adam was not the perfect man for the job, but still, he couldn’t just watch anymore.

Blake stopped midway, and looked at Adam. His angry gaze made Adam’s muscles clench. “Excuse me?”

Adam’s chest heaved up but didn’t go down as the other man approached him again. Adam was holding his breath but still said “You heard me, asshole! You bumped into me. It’s only fair that you pay.”

Blake was standing so close to Adam, topping him easily. He looked deep into Adam’s hazel eyes, and said nothing for a long moment. “Call me that again? And I’ll rip your arm off and force you to eat it. You should have watched where you were walking.”  
Adam was frozen in his place, breathing heavy. He could swear there was ice coming out of that man’s mouth, shooting at his heart. For a second, he actually believed that Shelton was going to break his neck. Blake turned around again and walked away.

It was a stupid fight, but it had CeeLo shaking his head.

~~******* ~~

Things didn’t quite stay the way it was for long, since Adam started to notice four men following him around. He was shocked to learn that it were Fred, the rapist, from the reception and his friends. It created anxiety inside his heart, a feeling that kept his senses in full alert, ready for any attack. He tried to talk to the warden, but he was not willing to listen. He threw some shade at the words Adam had once used to describe him, when he was sent to solitary, doubted the allegations Adam presented and sent him back with a vacant promise.

At first, Adam thought Fred and his friends just wanted to hurt him physically, because he stepped on their territory or something. But, he couldn’t be more wrong. One day, he was sitting at a table, staring ahead at some men throwing balls into the basketball hoop, when he felt like he was being watched.

He looked around and saw Fred and his friends at table next to his. They were staring at him with disturbing smiles, whispering to each other. It was still fine, nothing to worry much about it. Up until the moment, when the shortest man grabbed his dick through his pants, and licked his lips as he looked right in Adam’s eyes.

Adam’s breathing flinched, and his head snapped to the other direction. He tried to act normal for the rest of the day, avoiding looking at the men, but from the inside he was freaking out, panicking. When the leisure time was over, Adam almost flew back to his cell without looking back.

Adam had heard a lot of things about prison rape, and the idea of him being raped gave him nightmares. He realized that he needed to be around people, he needed to have some kind of protection. So the following day, he had his mind set on finding someone to talk to.

It was almost physically impossible for his brain to hold up a conversation with most of the prisoners. Once they told him about their crimes, his body would refuse to sit still, and he ended up ditching them for another table.

It went like that for days. Every day he would force himself to talk to someone, but it was not working for him. He decided to ask CeeLo for help, and promised him not to cause any more trouble. CeeLo said that he was going to run it up with his mates, but never got back to Adam. Adam took the hint and didn’t mention it again. Actually, he stopped trying to make friends all together.

He decided to depend on his brain, and started hanging out more around the guards, never made eye contact and was never alone in a place, except when he was asked to get detergents from the storage room, which was literally a few feet away from where he worked. Other than the detergent room, there was no way for Fred and his men to get to him, unless they found people to trade places with them for a short while. So, for a long week, Adam thought he was going to be fine. He was actually proud that he didn’t need anyone to come up with this plan.

On a Monday, Adam’s plan was disturbed when he saw two men heading to the door for no apparent reason. The guards seemed okay with it. After they were gone, the door opened one more time and two different men came in. Adam’s heart dropped when he looked at their faces. It was Fred and one of his friends. Adam watched them as they walked to him, smug with themselves, a little smirk spread on their thick lips.

Adam looked back at the ironing board, avoiding their eyes. His heart was pounding, and every cell of him was screaming at him to run away, but he couldn’t. There was nowhere to go and the three guards assigned to this room were watching everyone like hawks. He thought he was going to be fine as long as these guards were around. He ignored the two men for a minute and focused on the clothes on the board, hand tight around the handle of the iron.

Suddenly, a tall figure was next to him, sticking to his shoulder. Adam tried stepped away, but he couldn’t. Fred was behind him, a little to his right. Adam’s chest started rising up and down heavier, and his hand stiffened around the iron’s handle.

“Hey, princess,” Fred said, face close to Adam’s neck. “I was asked to get the detergent. Wanna come to show me where it is?”

Adam shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. “The room behind me,” he said, hoping they would just go. “Go get it yourself.”

Fred chuckled. “Yeah, but where exactly? It could be anywhere in that room!” His hand slid down Adam’s back and stayed at Adam’s waist. Adam’s body flinched.

“Get your disgusting hand off me!” Adam said quietly. He didn’t want to make a big scene about it, but he was ready to take them.

The tall guy leaned forward. “Here’s how it’s going to be, pretty boy,” he said, close to Adam’s ear. “You’re coming with us to the back, or I’ll break every tooth you have.”

Adam clenched his fist around that iron. The taller guy was now holding his arm, tugging. There was no way Adam was letting them touch him. There was no way he was going to be raped. No way! The taller man pulled at his arm harder to get him away from the board. He was strong so Adam’s body moved against its will to the back.

“I said fucking let go of me!” Adam screamed at him. He held the iron up, shoved the hot surface to the taller man’s face, and pressed a button to release the burning steam on the molester’s skin. The man started screaming in agony, swearing. He covered his face with his hands, which caused more damage, because now his hands got burned too. The screaming caught the guards’ attention, and they came running in their direction to break the fight.

Before they could get to them, Fred decided to take a swing at him. Adam ducked and placed the hot surface of the iron on the man’s inner thigh. Fred freaked out too, and stumbled backward and fell into a barrel filled with hot boiling water that they used for the steam irons. The short man started screaming some more, trying to get out. His big ass was stuck.

Luckily for Fred, the guards were closer by then and they pulled him out. As for Adam, he was forced on his knees by one guard and stayed there as they helped the short guy get rid of his hot clothes. Adam genuinely didn’t mean to hurt the guy like that. He was just trying to protect himself.

Because the molesters had burns and blisters all over their bodies, Adam was the only one sent to Solo. He’d had had his mind set to never go back. It was an awful experience, but he kept reminding himself that it was better than the alternative. The bad news was, he had to get out eventually, where these men waited for him. He knew they were not going to stop. They had their lifetime to try and get him. He had his lifetime to live in fear.

After spending two days in that hole, he was let out, and taken to the showers. It was still five, so he was sent straight to the backyard. He walked through groups of men that stared at him the whole time, whispering. He did not pay them much attention, and just kept his eyes ahead.

In his peripheral vision, Adam saw Fred, surrounded by his three friends, standing close to a group of rocks. Fred was looking at Adam with crazy eyes, shooting death glares at him. His neck and arms were covered in white bandages, wrapping him like a mummy. His tall friend had a brown mark on his right cheek, and his hands were also wrapped in white bandages. Adam didn’t give a crap about how they looked at him, held his hand up and gave them the finger. Fred gritted his teeth and almost jumped on Adam to smash his head, but one of his friends grabbed his arms and stopped him.

As Adam held up his finger, he noticed Shelton and his friends, sitting close to Fred. Adam was still salty about the breakfast Blake wasted for him, so he made sure to look the giant right in the eyes with his middle finger still up.

Blake just smirked.

~~******* ~~

That night, CeeLo made sure to tell Adam how hard he’d fucked up.

“You are the dumbest person I have ever seen!” CeeLo shouted. “In one month… ONE MONTH, you managed to get half of the prison to know your name, and no, not in a good way! Do you understand what you have done?”

Adam shook his head. He didn’t think it was important to tell CeeLo that he had been there for more than one month.

“You turned Fred into a joke,” CeeLo said, not making any sense. “That guy you decided to boil? His name is Fred, the head of the Elvis group. He has a lot of friends around the prison, and they are now coming for you! All of them!”

“So, what did you want me to do, let them have their way?”

“No! Call the guards, or make a friend! That’s what normal people do around here.”

Adam sighed and looked away. “I can’t. I have been trying!”

“You should have kept trying! But you just gave up.”

Adam shook his head, frustrated with CeeLo’s lecture. “Why do you care anyway? Didn’t you say that you don’t want to get sucked up into this? Then stay out of it. I’ll take care of myself, however I see necessary.”

“I feel sorry for you, you idiot!! Before, you had a chance, a fucking good chance to get to know some people, but now? You’re literally on your own. No one will want to get involved with you, now that you have all these enemies over your head. You can try all you want, but you attract too much trouble. First Shelton, whom I told you to stay away from. But you didn’t, and it is the worst thing you can possibly do! You didn’t get in his way once, but twice! Then you burned a man’s face and boiled the other’s nuts!”

Adam’s heart sank little by little as he listened to CeeLo. There was nothing he could say, not even if he wanted to. He could literally see what his life was going to be like from that point forward. It scared him, so much, but he could not admit it, not out loud.

“I will be fine,” Adam said, trying to comfort himself than anything.

CeeLo looked sorry, he really did. “I tried to get you a chair with us like you asked, but it’s not like I’m the one calling the shots. I’m sorry. The boys don’t think… I don’t even know.”

“It’s fine, really,” Adam said, smiling. “You don’t have to worry for me. I’m not a fucking baby. I can take care of myself.” He felt a little better, saying these words out loud. It made them more believable even if they were not true.

“I hope so,” CeeLo said.

~~******* ~~

CeeLo’s snoring that night was nothing compared to what was happening inside Adam’s head. He was literally screaming, unable to gather his scattering thoughts to solve each problem at a time. He was looking for a way to get his case reopened, a way to endure the physical and emotional torture he suffered every day and a way to get out of the new problem CeeLo made him aware of. There was no way out, and he knew it. Yet, there was that voice inside him, that kept reminding him of how tough he was, how smart and how he never needed anyone to solve his problems.

Adam was lost in his thoughts when, suddenly, the door to his cell clicked and was pushed open. He jerked upright, heart pounding in surprise. He couldn’t see faces, only the silhouette of two men with hats. He figured that they were the guards. Adam’s swallowed as they walked in, and called out his name. CeeLo was in deep sleep, and did not seem bothered by their full voices.

“Th-that’s me,” he said, not sure what was going on. “Is everything okay?”

“Get up,” one guard said, signaling to Adam to get down.

The other officer looked worried, eyes wandering around too much. Adam was reluctant to get up, so the frantic officer grabbed his arm and forced him out of the bed. Adam’s ankles almost snapped, but he was not given time to adjust to the pain, and was just dragged outside. Adam did as they said, fearing for his life. He didn’t even have time to put on any shoes, so the whole time he could feel the cold tiled floor under him.

“Where are we going?”

“Hush,” the strict officer said. “We’re gonna walk quietly. Try something funny and I’ll blow your brains out.”

The two officers walked behind Adam, one holding a gun to the prisoner’s back while the other was just there to look like a suspicious drug dealer. After they reached the end of the narrow hallway, they climbed up the stairs to the third floor. Adam’s eyes were wide open, not sure what the hell was going on. He had been curious about that floor for a long time. The normal prisoners were not allowed near this place.

When they got there, he found that the third floor didn’t look anything like the other two. This one had solid, black doors instead of white iron bars. Each door had a number, starting from 80 and ended at 100. The guards kept walking past these doors, quietly, until they reached the door number 100. It was already open, which puzzled Adam. The worried guy went ahead of them and stood at the entrance.

“We brought him,” he announced, nervously. Someone handed him a box wrapped in black paper. The worried man seemed relieved for some reason, and signaled to the other one to bring Adam forward. Adam was pushed to walk forwards again, with a gun to his back.

“Why am I here?” Adam asked, looking at the officer behind him.

“You’re staying here.”

Adam’s lips opened to say something, but he was shoved inside the cell and the words scattered away from his brain as he tried to keep his balance. He watched as the two officers closed the door, confused and scared. When the door was fully locked, Adam turned around to examine the place. His heart dropped to his feet. He stepped back, gluing his back to the door.

The Deer.

Adam had flashes back to earlier that day, when he looked at Blake while he was giving Fred the middle finger. He remembered CeeLo’s words about how these guys were cold and dangerous.

“Why... why am I here?” Adam took around the cell, and was in awe to see the jarring difference between it and the one he was staying at.

It was bigger and was open into cell number 99. The cell was already big as it was, and opening it to the next cell, made it look like a small studio apartment. The two cells were separated by a tall folding divider that was pushed to one end of the room.

There were four bed, two in each cell, three of them looked the same, a little bigger than a single bed, and the fourth one was the same size as Adam’s older bed, only had a thicker mattress and nicer bedding. There were two tables, one at each cell, four chairs, scattered around the place. In each room there were a big window, covered in bars and a little too high.

Adam tried to locate the toilet, but didn’t find it. He only saw a door on the right that was shut. Adam remembered CeeLo saying that some of these rich people could add all the changes they wanted to their cells, as long as they paid for it. Adam just never imagined it was actually real. Luke and Jason kept staring at Adam for the longest time, looking as confused as Adam was.

“Why did you bring me here?” Adam asked again, looking around for something that he could use as a weapon. There was none.

“Yeah, Blake, why the hell did you bring him here?” Luke asked, looking at Blake like he was going to explode at any moment. Blake continued his reading. Luke’s patience was running out fast. So, he pushed Blake’s book down a little. “Hey, why did you bring him?”

Blake sighed, put the book down, and sat up, landing his bare feet on the clean floor. “Come here,” he said to Adam like he was expecting him to just comply.

Of course Adam didn’t. “Why am I here?”

Luke stomped to him, and grabbed the collar of his shirt. He was too strong, and was able to drag Adam to where Blake wanted him. Blake stood up tall, topping Adam easily. Adam’s chest started moving faster, but his facial expression remained the same.

“So… why is he here?” Luke asked for the millionth time, already.

Blake walked closer to Adam and grabbed his face, squeezing his bearded cheeks so hard it hurt. “He’s pretty,” he said, simply. Adam’s eyes went wide, but he didn’t dare to move. The man was like a fucking tower, and it intimidated Adam.

“He’s pretty?” Luke asked in disbelief. “You brought his rude ass up here because he’s pretty?”

“Don’t you agree?” Blake turned Adam’s face to Luke. Adam groaned at the sudden movement.

“No!” Luke looked disgusted. “He looks like he’s been dipped in ink,” He said, referring to Adam’s tattoos. It was when Adam had noticed that he was only in his t-shirt and pants on. He usually slept without his blue shirt.

Blake’s free hand reached down and grabbed Adam’s right hand. At that point, Adam was too scared to move a muscle or utter a word. He was just a little toy being played with. Blake held Adam’s hand up and curled all of Adam’s fingers down but the middle one. Adam’s heart sank to his feet.

He knew it.

Blake was going to kill him.

Blake brought Adam’s hand and held it up between them. Adam looked at his middle finger in fear. He literally thought Blake was going to bite it off. “He has pretty fingers too. Too bad Fred’s going to chop that one off for you. It’s a waste, don’t you think?” He asked Adam.

Adam just looked in Blake’s cold eyes, shaking. “I didn’t mean… I wasn’t… that was for the other guy!” Adam said, grasping for words. “It wasn’t for you, I s...”

“No?” Blake brought Adam’s fingers to his mouth and put the tip between his teeth for a little bite then let it go. “I like feisty.” He leaned over slowly, and ran his nose along Adam’s neck. Adam felt his breathing on his neck a little, tickling. His chest started rising and falling faster.

“You can’t possibly be serious,” Jason said, looking amused. “You want him to be your new pet?”

The moment Adam heard the word “pet,” he gathered all the strength he had and tried to push Blake away. It didn’t really do much. Blake was a big guy and Adam’s little, still frightened hand barely moved him anywhere. It just managed to make Blake look angry. Adam did not care.

“Keep dreaming, buddy,” Adam said, sounding ridiculous. Blake’s hand, squeezing his face, made it hard to speak normally. “I’d rather just die.”

“Oh, you are going to die,” Jason announced. “If not, you’re going to be taken by every man in Fred’s gang.”

“Taken?” Adam asked, still sounding funny.

“Raped, fucked, screwed… call it whatever you want,” Luke said, not minding his language.

“Trust me. You don’t want those guys to touch you.” Jason said. “They are like the nastiest pigs I have ever seen.”

Adam tried to get Blake’s hand off him. “I’ll take care of myself. Can you please get off of me?!” Adam snarled, trying to push Blake’s hands away.

“Lower your voice or I’ll break your teeth,” Luke threatened.

“Are you sure?” Blake asked, leaning in again. This time he had his lips at Adam’s ear. Adam could feel his stubble tickling his skin. “I’ll give you a week to decide,” his voice was so close, so deep and foreign. He pressed a kiss on the side of Adam’s neck that sent the creeps down Adam’s spin.

Before he released Adam’s face from his hand, he made sure to look him in the eyes. “After that week is over, you’re on your own.”

Adam stepped away from him. “I want to go back.”

“You can stay here until you decide.” Blake said, returning to sit on his bed. “That’s your bed.” He pointed at the least attractive bed. “Enjoy your stay.” He didn’t sound genuine.

“I won’t, because I am not staying here forever,” Adam said as he sat down on the bed Blake pointed at.

“You don’t get to sit without permission!” Luke said. “Get up!”

Luke was literally too close to punching the hell out of Adam’s face, but Blake stopped him. “It’s okay. Just go to your bed.”

Adam did. He licked his lips. Before he lay down, he looked at Blake and pointed in warning. “You touch me, and I’ll kill you.”

“You’ve got some nerve on you,” Luke exclaimed, again walking to Adam with anger in his eyes. Blake stopped him again by grabbing his arm.

“Don’t worry,” Blake said to Adam. “I don’t take things that don’t belong to me.”

“What a gentleman!” Adam was sarcastic.

Adam curled under the covers and just lay down. He kept his eyes open, still worried Luke was going to choke him in his sleep.

“Are you fucking serious?” Luke asked, sounding like he was going to lose his mind. “Because he’s pretty? God! Are you sick or something? Because he’s pretty?!!”

Jason was laughing his ass off at Luke’s near breakdown. “Dude, calm down.”

“Don’t ask me to calm down! Your friend is losing his mind! What do you see in that? He’s like forty, for fuck’s sake!”

“I’m thirty, asshole!” Adam corrected from his place.

“Oh, I can make you look good forty, alright? So why don’t you just zip it. I’m trying to put some sense into my friend’s brain.”

“Why are you mad?” Jason asked. “I think he’s cute, too.”

“No,” Luke announced. “Puppies are cute. That guy looks like a fried tuna. Beside he’s trouble. Didn’t you see what he did to Fred?”

Blake sighed loudly. “Go to bed, Luke,” he said, sounding a little bored.

“But…” Luke tried again.

“I said go to bed,” Blake said again, a little more firmly this time. The room got quiet for a while, icy quiet before Luke huffed and stomped back to his bed.

“Fine! Do as you like.”

“Turn off the lights, I’m tired.” Blake ordered Jason.

After the lights were out, Adam tried to sleep. The bed was not as hard as his previous one, so it was something that he enjoyed. There wasn’t any bad smell lingering around either. The place actually smelled like soap, if anything. It made Adam’s body relax and give in to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The morning bell was hardly audible from Adam's new cell, which was a great update from his last cell. His former lockup was too close to where the bell was, so every time it rang, he would almost jump out of his clothes. Adam opened his eyes, comfortable in his new bed. The daylight was not strong yet, so the room was dimly lit by the natural light coming from the windows behind his bed. He still couldn't believe the events of the other night. It still infuriated him that out of all the inmates in the prison, he was the one Blake invited. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't help but feel a little special.

Adam stretched under the covers and rolled on his side, eyes wandering around, further examining the cell. He could see both Luke and Jason from his place. They stayed in their beds for a while, and only got up after the lights became more intense. After getting out of bed, they washed their faces, brushed their teeth, and fixed their hair and clothes.

“Good morning,” Jason said, when he noticed that Adam was already awake. “Did you sleep well?”

Jason sat on the edge of the bed to but on his shoes, while Luke sat on a chair at the table, eyes closed and hands brought together.

“What is he doing?” Adam asked, watching him.

Jason took one look at Luke and smiled. “He’s praying.”

That was odd. Adam only knew the guy as the angry and offensive one. Still, Adam didn’t say anything. He’d always tried to respect people’s beliefs. Besides, Luke actually looked peaceful like that, so it must be working for him.

“I need to go back to my old cell,” Adam said, pushing the covers off of him to sit up.

“Just stay here for the week, you may change your mind,” Jason said. “Don't be too stubborn.”

Adam shook his head, still not fond of the idea of being Blake’s pet. “I need my shoes, and my shirt, and my toothbrush, and my toothpaste.” Adam counted on his fingers.

“We get it,” Luke said, abruptly, obviously done with his prayer. “You need your crap!”

Now that was the Luke Adam knew! That was fast! Adam rolled his eyes.

Jason laughed. “You can have these shoes for now,” he said to Adam, pointing to a spare pair under the table. “When you get back later today, your stuff will be here.”

“Okay.”

The doors opened soon after, and all inmates lined outside with their heads down for the counting. Adam could recognize some people on that floor: Jared Fogle, Ricardo Medina and Sam Hurd. He’d seen them a couple of times at the chow hall and the backyard. They always stayed around each other, and barely talked to anyone from the general masses.

There wasn’t much difference between that floor and the two downstairs. The only thing Adam had noticed was Blake staying at the cell, and the guards pretending not to notice — not even when Adam pointed it out. As they walked to the stairs, Adam managed to take a good look inside the other cells. They looked smaller than Blake’s cell. Some had things Blake’s cell didn’t have. For example, Cell 87 had a tiny TV on a table next to the bed.

At the chow hall, Jason tried to convince Adam to sit with them, but Adam refused. He knew what sitting in that chair meant, and was not cool with that. Jason understood, but still bought Adam a nice breakfast.

The expensive meals were made by a professional chef called Joshua. All the products Joshua used were delivered to the kitchen every morning from a nearby store. They weren’t much, but were always fresh and well prepared. That’s why they were pricey. Some of the plates cost $5, while others cost $15$, which was way too much for the kind of money Adam made in the laundry room, just $20 per week. That’s why Adam usually settled for the cheap plates and even the free meals sometimes. The breakfast Jason bought for him cost $10.

As he lifted up his plate, Adam heard a familiar voice calling out his name. He looked over his shoulder and saw CeeLo walking down to him. “Dude, where did you go?”

“Hey,” Adam greeted him with a smile. “Urm… The guards took me to another cell last night. On the third floor.”

CeeLo took off his sunglasses quickly. “Wait, what? Why?”

Adam shrugged. “Well… Shelton kind of…”

CeeLo’s jaw dropped, and he stared at Adam for a long moment. “You’re kidding, right? He asked for you, even after what you said to him?”

Adam shrugged.

“Dude, that’s great!” CeeLo said. He sounded like he was congratulating Adam. “Wow, saved by the bell, huh? Now you can at least sleep in peace!”

Adam shook his head no. “I’m not taking his offer, CeeLo,” Adam said as a matter of fact. “I’m returning to my cell next week.”

“Are you crazy?” CeeLo half yelled. “You have a chance to live like a fucking king around here, and you want to turn it down? Besides, in your situation, you really need this more than anything. Don’t be stupid!”

Adam couldn’t believe CeeLo was actually okay with this idea “I’m not gay, C! I don’t think I can do it!”

“So what?” CeeLo asked. “You really don’t have much of a choice, you know.”

“Would you have done it, if he ever asked you?”

CeeLo shrugged. “If my ass was on the line like yours is? Hell yeah!”

Adam shook his head. “Well, I’m not like you. I can’t do it.”

CeeLo put his sunglasses back on. “Suit yourself. But, if you want my advice, I think you should go for it, at least until you get used to this place, or find a friend or something.”

“I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

“Sure,” CeeLo said, before he walked away to get his breakfast. He patted on Adam’s back. “But be careful. Fred is up to no good.”

Adam understood the risks, but he couldn’t digest the idea fully.

After he found a vacant table, he dragged out a chair and sat down. From his place, he saw Blake walking in, looking grumpy. Adam watched him for a moment, astonished by how people were getting out of the man’s way, like they were scared he was going to crush them like bowling pins. Adam rolled his eyes and chose to focus on something better, his expensive breakfast.

As he was eating his apple, Adam felt eyes on him. They weren’t angry, or anticipating like they usually were. They were just… curious. He figured that it had something to do with him coming from the third floor. A few minutes later, two men pulled out chairs and sat down next to him, one on each side. Adam stopped chewing for a few seconds, and looked at them.

They were not shy about staring like creeps. In fact they smiled. Adam gulped and looked back at his food. Soon, the table was fully occupied around him with five other guys. One of them was the tall guy with the burnt face. They did nothing the entire time, just sat down and ate their breakfast. Adam was so uncomfortable, he couldn't fully enjoy his fancy breakfast.

After he was done, he got up as quickly as he could to walk away. As he did so, the man on his right stretched his leg a bit and tripped him. Thankfully, Adam did not fall, but the men around the table started laughing. Blood rushed to his face, and boiled in his veins. He turned to the bully and kicked his chair, causing it to fall with the guy still in it.

One of the guy's friends got up and punched Adam right in the face, sending him to the floor with a bloody nose. The guards were quick to break up the fight, and helped Adam get up. The man that punched Adam was not as lucky. He resisted the guards, so they had to beat him down and then he was dragged straight to Solo. One of the men at the table got up, and gave Adam the death glare. He was obviously not happy having his friend sent to the hole.

“You’re dead, Levine!”

Adam sighed.

CeeLo was right. Adam was so good at making enemies. Not only he was stuck with the Elvises and their friends, but now, he was also in troubles with another group called DQ and their friends. In a short time, Adam managed to be the prison's most hated personality, and the most wanted.

The following three days were fine, just a couple of glares here and there, but that was it. Adam liked his new cell, however – the private bathroom, the relatively nice bed, and the daily showers. The third floor had a private shower room away from the general population, and the prisoners there didn’t have to stick to the showering schedules. Well, at least Blake and his friends didn’t.

Things were getting a little weird sometimes with Jason and Luke. At first, Adam thought it was all in his head, the giggles, the dirty inside jokes and waking up in the same bed in the morning. He thought that they were just good friends who enjoyed each other’s company, and had a little bit of a bromance. It wasn’t until the fourth night he spent in that cell that he found out what was unusual about their relationship.

It was late at night, when a groaning man woke Adam up. He was confused, eyes wandering around to identify the source. When he found it, his eyes went wide, waking up the rest of his brain. Luke was on top of Jason, kissing him as Jason’s hips stirred up into him. Adam stopped moving, breathing, blinking… everything. It was the first time he’d ever seen two men fucking, and he couldn’t help but feel a little weird. It was not like he was repulsed by what he was seeing, more like surprised that he was not revolted by the idea, if that made any sense at all. For some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off of them, off the way their bodies moved in harmony together and the way Jason’s hands explored every inch of his partner’s figure. Luke seemed like he was enjoying it and even asked Jason to do it harder at some point. Adam wondered about how it felt.

**…**

  
Adam was a straight man, no doubt about that, he liked women and enjoyed their company. He’d always thought that he was like Prince, the singer, a little androgynous. He loved shopping for new clothes and took care of the way he looked, smelled and was portrayed in front of people. But, that didn’t mean he was gay.

He might have been a little curious about homosexuality, but he was always too skittish to try it out. He and Jesse talked about it one day at high school. However, Jesse was not scared to do it like him. On their first year of college, he told Adam that he’d slept with an openly gay guy, who happened to be his roommate at the time. He said that he did not like it though, and that it was uncomfortable and awkward.

That day, Adam was so stunned by the news that he couldn’t sleep at night. It was not because he was disgusted or anything, but because he was actually considering trying it, too. At the time, there was this guy, Caleb. He was a beautiful African American student with a gorgeous smile that rarely left his lips. He played for the college basketball team, and by the end of his second year, everyone started calling him the golden boy, because he brought the first golden trophy for the university. He was a real star, a little shameless, though.

He made it very clear that he wanted to get into Adam’s pants and teach him a thing or two about “real sex.” Adam had always thought that if he was ever to try gay sex, Caleb was the one he’d have picked for the job. He was tall, handsome and ripped to the gods. Adam liked how his body looked sweaty, how generous he was with the cologne and how big his hand was on the orange basketball. He was definitely one of the guys that had Adam confused with his sexuality a couple of times.

When Jesse told Adam about his little experience, Adam had his mind set to try it as well. The following night, there was a party at a frat house. Adam grabbed two drinks and walked in the direction of Caleb. They talked, ranted about some teachers and had a couple of drinks on the couch.

After the booze kicked in a little, Caleb’s hand was all over Adam’s knee, slowly sliding up his thigh. It was a busy party and no one was really watching them, so Adam relaxed. He was fine with all the touching, the mucky cologne and the dirty whispers in his ears. But when Caleb leaned into him for a kiss, Adam pushed him away and ran away like he was escaping a ghost.

Adam always assumed that he was going to hate it like Jesse. That was probably why he chickened out at that party. Or, maybe he was just scared of liking it, of what it meant.

**…**

 

Before Adam knew it, he found himself on his side, watching the pair fucking. Luke’s voice was a little low by then, as he whispered to Jason how much he liked it. Adam felt like a creep. What the hell was he doing? He was watching two people having an intimate moment together. Ashamed of himself, Adam rolled on his other side and faced away. It didn't take too long for them to finish. After that it got quieter, and Adam was able to sleep.

~~******* ~~

Adam was on the verge of screaming the following day at the laundry room. Some inmates barely lifted their eyes off of him, and it made his skin crawl, keeping him on edge the entire time. The heat coming from the steam iron did not help either. He was sweating from every angle, melting slowly towards another breakdown. There were over five guys, staring at him. For the longest time, Adam ignored them, and kept an eye on the clothes he was ironing.

A few minutes later, Adam saw the guards assigned to the room marching towards the door. His heart sank to his feet when one of them opened the door and got out, then the second followed. The third guard had a cigarette in his mouth as he looked at someone behind Adam, and tapped on his watch with his finger.

“Thirty minutes,” the third guard said as he stood by the open door. A few seconds later, he was out too and closed the door behind them, leaving Adam with five hungry men and other ten in a live audience. Adam figured that the guards had been bribed. His chest tightened.

Those corrupted sons of bitches!

Adam then realized that most people in the room were from the two gangs he’d pissed off. So, no one there was interested in helping him.

A man came from behind Adam and grabbed his shoulder. “Alone at last,” he said, breathing into Adam’s ear. His stinky breath got Adam’s stomach weak, and his nose wrinkling in disgust. When Adam looked behind he saw the tall guy whose face got burned. “Now, you can scream all you want, you little bitch, no one is coming for you.”

Adam's fingers curled around the iron’s handle, heart pounding hard against his ribs. He did the math in his head, and knew he couldn’t have possibly fought them all. They were too many and fueled with anger. So, his best chance was to run towards the door. The guards would consider it as an attempt to break out and send him to solitary.

The guy behind him grabbed his hair, jerking Adam away from the iron. Adam stiffened his arm and shoved his elbow up that guy nose, feeling it break under his elbow. The man grunted and fell to the floor with his nose bleeding in his hands. Adam took this chance and ran towards the door. The guy yelled at his friends to stop him. Three men kept up with Adam and got in his way, circling him. That was when Adam realized that everyone else stopped working to watch the show.

Adam swallowed.

Two men grabbed him from behind and fixed him in his place, the third one just walked towards him, rolling up his sleeves. Adam grunted as he tried to get out of their grip, but couldn't. At this point his adrenaline was through the roof, pumping in his veins, keeping him in a full alert state. In an attempt to get away, Adam turned his head to the right, and dug his teeth into the stinky arm of one of the guys holding him in place. He bit him so hard he could feel his teeth literally breaking the skin and blood streaming down his chin. The man screamed his way away from Adam. After one was down, Adam sprinted backwards towards a wall. The second man was skinnier and shorter, so pushing him and squashing him into the wall was not hard at all.

Adam fled to the door at top speed, grabbing a wooden clothes hanger on the way as a backup plan. When he was close to the exit, he thought that it was all over, that he was going to get out whole. But he thought wrong.

Before Adam could put his hand near the door knob, a man grabbed his arm and drew him backward and away from the exit. Then, his arms bound Adam from the back and fixed him in place. The man was huge. His muscles were rock hard against Adam’s back. Adam growled as he tried to break free, but it was a failed attempt. The guy behind him started laughing calling him a pussy.

Fred came out of the detergents room and stood in front of Adam, smug with himself. Adam screamed at him, trying to get away but it was yet another vain effort. He was so close to the door he could just feel his relief, yet he was bound in his place, surrounded by people with no morals.

Fred just laughed at his helplessness and then punched him in the face. “This is for last time,” he said, sounding bitter.

Adam grunted, blood dripping from his nose in a continuous stream. Another man punched him in the stomach and another punched him in the face again. Adam whined but kept his head up, screaming at them. His heart was hammering against his ribs and body shaking and in pain. Two more punches came to his face and he started seeing double, hearing as if listening to someone talking through a microphone. The blood in his nose got into his mouth and he could taste the metallic taste of it.

He couldn't move, not just because he was bound by the man behind him, but also he was too shaken to remember how to stand up right. The man let him fall on his knees. Adam did not let the hanger go the whole time. It was the only thing that he was still aware of. A man used his feet and kicked Adam’s face so hard that Adam’s neck almost snapped. Adam was half gone by then, head spinning and eyes blurring everything out.  
Someone was pulling down his pants. Adam tried to stop them. He screamed for the guards, but no one answered. His pants and boxers were now around his knees, and a man pushed him forwards so he was on his hands and knees. Men were laughing as some of the audience started gathering around.

“… That fine ass…” He heard someone say, before he went for another episode of confusion.

Adam got up on his knees, but Burnt Face punched him back down on his hands and knees. Adam’s mind went blank for a while, and ears started ringing louder. One guy behind him forced his legs open so hard Adam scratched his knees while trying to keep them closed. He was not screaming for help any more.

_Why wasn’t he screaming?_

He saw Fred from behind his foggy eyes, slapping his smelly dick to Adam’s face. Adam grunted and turned his face away.

“Now, I got you, princess!” Fred said, grabbing Adam from the hair and shoving his face into his crotch. Adam gagged. Frank’s voice roared with laughter. Adam’s nerves were shaking, rocking his body in fear. Fred punched Adam one more time, before rubbing his cock on Adam’s lips. Adam sealed them closed.

He felt a man's finger inside his ass. He didn’t know when it happened, but he was starting to feel the pain of his strained muscles. The man's finger was thick and his nail kept digging in Adam, scratching into the flesh. Tears sprung in his eyes as he looked up at all these people watching. For a moment he wished he had have taken Blake’s offer. Not that it was better, but to save him the humiliation.

Fred pinched Adam’s nose, blocking the air from going in. Adam knew what Fred was trying to do. He wanted Adam to open his mouth for his dick. Adam resisted for as long as he could, but his lungs almost gave out. His mouth opened and gasped for air. Fred smirked, and shoved his dick in Adam’s mouth, using his lungs’ desperation for air.

The first tear rolled down Adam’s cheek as the disgusting taste of the man’s sweaty meat spread on his tongue. He was not going to give in this easily. He squeezed his eyes shut and closed his teeth over the man’s dick, biting into the sensitive skin, and feeling the man writhing in agony.

Fred was screaming, grabbing too hard on Adam’s hair trying to get him away, but without much luck. Adam did not stop until he felt his teeth slide into the flesh. It was when the biggest guy there grabbed his hair and pulled him away. Adam got away, but not before he dragged his teeth along that stinky cock, causing more damage.

Fred was shouting. Some people tried to help him while others were laughing their asses off. Adam took advantage of their distraction and looked at the door for another way out. He tightened his fists around the clothes hanger. He could use it to activate the motion sensors from his place. He had one chance, one chance to hit the glass on the door with the hanger. If he missed, it was all over for him. He lifted his heavy arm a little, held the clothes hanger from the middle and aimed. He took one second to concentrate on the target, and another to pray for strength, and then he threw it as hard as he could.

It did not go through the glass like Adam had planned, but thankfully, hit the door strong enough that the motion sensors picked on it, and the alarm went off immediately.

All the men around him sped away, like scared chickens. Adam wanted to avoid having more people watching his naked body, so he got up on his feet and pulled up his pants. The moment he saw the guards come in, his body crashed and he fell on his knees again. The guards were looking at him with shock. There was blood running down his nose, blood in his mouth, on his neck, his beard, and on his clothes. Fred was still in the back, still screaming in agony.

Some guards went to help Fred, carrying him outside. The rest just grabbed Adam’s arm and helped him up, only to send him to solitary for a week.

**~~***~~ **

Adam curled up into a ball at one corner, knees against his chest. He never knew that one could feel so humiliated, ashamed and small. His heart was aching, tears burning in his eyes and body was still in shock. The room around him was dark, filled with nothing but his screaming thoughts. He was too close to being raped, and the idea made his heart bleed. He could see the incident happening again and again, them having their way next time. If not next time, then the one that followed. They were not going to stop. They had their lifetime to try. He had his lifetime to be their target.

He considered requesting to be transferred to another prison, but there was no guarantee that he was going to be treated any differently. He didn’t even know how long it was going to take the authorities to approve of his request.

The first night passed with Adam’s tears falling down his face. He was weeping silently. He knew what he needed to do and had his mind set on doing it. There was no way he was getting another day in that humiliation.

He was going to take Blake’s offer.

The following morning, Adam got on his feet and started knocking as hard as he could on the solid door, but no one bothered with him. He didn’t care and kept banging on the door until his knuckles were scratched and started to hurt. He didn’t stop, not even when one of the guards asked him to shut the hell up.

There was only one day left, before Blake withdrew his offer. He was aware that it was going to be pretty much the same with Blake as it was with these animals, but at least he chose Blake. That was his decision. Beside, with Blake, he could sleep at night knowing that no one would lay a hand on him. Between the two evils, Blake was more… endurable.

Finally, the morning rolled in, and Adam woke up to someone banging on the door. “What do you want? You were bothering the guards last night.”

Adam jerked up right on his sore knees and put his mouth close the door. “I have a message for someone,” Adam said, leaning against the door.

“We’re not the post office! No messages.” Adam could the guard’s shoes walking away.

“No, please!” Adam got up on his feet. “It’s for Blake, Blake Shelton. Please, come back! Please.” When no answer came back, Adam assumed that the guy left.

“What do you want to tell him?” the guard asked, knocking on the door again to see if Adam was still listening. Adam breathed out in relief.

He bit his lips. He couldn’t believe that he was about to do this. “Can you tell him that… he’s got a deal?”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Adam couldn’t bring himself to say. “Just… just tell him that. Please. It’s important.”

The guard left not satisfied with the insufficient amount of information. A few hours passed and Adam started to think that Blake had changed his mind, or that the guard forgot to tell him. Adam’s heart sank deeper into the darkness as he thought of his next step.

The night came, and the room got darker and darker. It was probably midnight by then. He could hear the guy in the neighboring hole snoring. Adam decided he should get some rest too. It had been over 15 hours since he sent that message and there was no reply. Besides, it was midnight, which technically ended the week Blake had given him. So, he laid down and tried to sleep.

He didn’t know how much time have passed, but it didn’t feel like a lot. When he opened his eyes, he saw a shadow of a man on the wall. That only happened when the door was open. Adam jerked upright, and looked up.

“Let’s go,” the guard said, signaling with his head to the outside.

Adam hesitated. He was a little confused and scared still. “I’m supposed to be here for ten days,” Adam said, standing up anyway. The guard sighed and grabbed his arm, dragging him behind. Adam followed him, as he watched the other guard close the door. He didn’t know what was going on, but had a few guesses. None of them included being taken to the showers.

“You need to clean up. You have ten minutes, so move it.”

Adam nodded. He took off his clothes and jumped under the shower. The water was warmer than usual, and soothing. He finally cleaned up the blood on his face, neck and body. He made sure to clean every nook and cranny, desperate to get the touch of their hands off him. He definitely took more than ten minutes, but decided to just wait for the guards to ask him to get out like they usually did. But they didn’t. So, he stood there under the showers for the longest time, letting the water wash away all the painful memories.

After he was done, he went out only to see two disapproving guards at the door, talking. He found some clean clothes on a chair, so he put them on. Before he got out, he took a minute to look at his face in the mirror next to the door.

It was swollen with purplish bruises all over. His beard was covering some of the bruises, but, they still showed. For a moment, he couldn’t recognize himself in the mirror. The sadness in his eyes was something he was not used to seeing.

“C’mon, Levine, let’s go,” one of the guards shouted. Adam took one last look at himself, before walking towards them.

They took him upstairs, going easy on him as they walked. They were too busy talking to each other to care anyway. Adam just walked in silence, still taken aback by how he looked in the mirror. Suddenly, they stopped moving, and stood in front of cell number 100. One of the guards opened the door and asked Adam to come in instead of pushing him. When Adam did, he saw Luke and Jason, sitting on one bed, while Blake sat on his own with a book in his hand.

“There he is, clean as new,” the guard said patting on Adam’s shoulder. “So…”

Luke sighed and got up on his feet. He grabbed a box wrapped in black and gave it to one of the guards. “There.”

The man smiled big. “It was nice doing business with you,” he smiled and signaled to his partner to leave. The door closed after them, and Adam just stood there, staring at the three men.

“Welcome back,” Jason said, smiling kindly. Adam did not have the energy or the heart to smile back. “You’re okay?”

Adam nodded.

Luke went back to sit on Jason’s bed. He was not as considerate as Jason. “Did you really bite his dick off?”

Adam blinked. “What?”

“Fred,” Luke explained. “God, you just don’t know how to be subtle, do you? First you boil the guy, and then you bite off his dick!”

Adam figured they knew what happened, and he couldn’t gather the strength to look them in the eyes. Jason nudged Luke with his elbow.

“Shut up.”

Luke hissed and looked at Jason. “What did I say?” He was now looking at Adam. It was then he realized that he crossed the line. “Why aren’t you talking? You look dead.”

“Come here,” Blake said, glancing up at Adam once. He put the book down next to him and straightened up. Adam gulped, but walked to him. Blake held Adam’s wrist and pulled him to sit down next to him on the bed.

Adam was not looking at him. He couldn’t. “Did you get my message?”

Blake’s hand reached and touched Adam’s face gently, fingers feeling the skin under Adam’s beard. Adam flinched, but not because he was in pain, because he was awfully terrified. He was shaking.

“Why do you think you got out?” Blake said, running the back of his fingers softly along the bruises on Adam’s face. His hand was warm and gentle. Still, Adam wanted it to go away. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna do anything now.”

Adam couldn’t believe that.

“Get some sleep. You can skip work for the next few days if you want,” Blake said.

Adam looked at him. Blake didn’t look any different from before. His face was still straight, eyes empty of all emotion, and his general aura was not exactly kind. “Won’t I get in trouble?”  
“Don’t worry about it,” Jason answered instead. “You just rest for as long as you like. You’re technically still in solo.”

“Thank you.”

Jason smiled.

“Can I go now?” Adam said, looking at Blake. “I’m a little tired.”

“You can go,” Blake allowed.

Adam got up and walked to his bed. He could feel their eyes on him, but did not bother to look back. He just curled in his bed and stayed there, quiet. He didn’t sleep the entire night, just stared at the wall, even after the lights were turned off, and he could hear the others sleeping soundly. His eyes couldn’t close, tears burning at the back of them.

He felt broken.


	5. Chapter 5

Adam took Blake’s advice and stayed in bed for a few days. Sometimes, everything would be so quiet in his head, while other times, his thoughts were so loud and so many he couldn’t sleep. Something was missing inside him, something that was responsible for his self-assurance, his confidence. He didn’t know how to show up in front of people like nothing had happened. Everyone knew by then that he was assaulted, forced against his will. He was scared of being judged or victimized.

Jason took care of him sometimes. He would bring him food and drinks. He was nice, unlike Luke and Blake who pretty much ignored him the entire time. It wasn’t like Adam cared about them. He actually would have preferred if Jason did the same thing. He really wanted to be alone.

He knew the deal with Blake was inevitable, but hoped Blake would give him more time to prepare himself physically, mentally and emotionally. So far, Blake did just that. He never tried to touch Adam, or even talk to him. He would stay at the cell sometimes with Adam in the mornings, reading or sleeping. He never really followed the prison’s schedule and had some guards bring him things whenever he pleased. They were like his personal butlers, not officers.

One afternoon, Adam was alone at his cell. He was all wrapped up under the covers, staring at the wall. It was his fifth day there after he agreed to Blake’s deal, and he hadn’t had one shower the entire time. He knew he stank, but couldn’t gather the strength to get up. He heard footsteps at the door, and then heard Jason’s voice asking him if he was alright. Adam nodded, without looking back, and then went back to his thinking. Jason sighed and sat down on the edge of Adam’s bed, causing the mattress to shift a little.

“Adam, get up,” Jason said, grabbing Adam’s shoulder. His voice was gentle, and measured. “C’mon buddy, get up and look at me.”

“Please leave. I said I’m fine,” Adam said, warily.

“No, you’re not fine,” Jason insisted. His voice rose a little. He clutched Adam’s arm to pull him up. “C’mon get up. Let’s talk, just for a few minutes. Okay?”

“Leave me alone!” Adam hissed.

“No, I am not leaving you alone. You’re acting like a baby. Get the hell up and look at me!” His voice was firm, unlike his usual self.

Adam sighed, visibly annoyed. He knew that the only way to get Jason to leave was to just do what he asked and pretend he was interested. So, he lifted himself up and sat down, pressing his back to the wall. Jason did the same.

“There you go,” Jason said, looking at Adam. “Now look at me.”

Adam hesitated for one more second before doing as Jason asked.

Jason took a long look at Adam and sighed. “Your face is still messed up,” he said, touching Adam’s face. “You’re pale, too. Have you eaten anything at all?”

Adam did not answer.

“Wanna talk about what’s bothering you?”

 Adam shook Jason’s hand off. “Don’t act like you don’t know,” Adam grimaced.

“I honestly don’t,” Jason admitted, looking genuine. It confused Adam. “Why don’t you tell me?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You need to, Adam. It’s not healthy what you’re doing.” He grabbed Adam’s shoulder. “You can talk to me, man. I know it’s hard. Trust me, I know.”

Adam hated when Jason said that. “You can’t possibly know,” he said, looking away. “You… you just don’t…”

“But I do,” Jason said, sounding a little sad. “It’s not from personal experience, but I do understand. More than you’d think,” he assured, bringing his hands together. “Talk to me, buddy. I won’t judge.”

Adam hesitated. He looked at Jason and saw a sincere look in his eyes. There was pain, too, that for some reason Adam related to. “I just want to forget. I need this out of my head,” Adam admitted, words flowing out without his permission and heart aching in his chest. “But I… I tried.”

“You call what you’re doing trying?” Jason asked, eyebrows knotted in the middle. “You are not trying, Adam. You’re hiding in a corner, letting this one thing eat you alive.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to get up!” Jason said, raising his tone suddenly. Adam was slightly astounded. “This is not you talking right now, man. Adam, who everyone knows around here, is the loudest man that has ever come to this prison. He’s unapologetic and knows that he’s worth too much to give a crap about what people think. Now, does that sound like a man that hides under a rock when people give him a bit of a hard time?”

Adam was looking at him with a torn feeling. He knew Jason was right. He just didn’t know how to deal with what he was feeling.

“If you want to forget, Adam? You get up and live your day, buddy!” Jason advised. “You can’t just sleep these feelings away. You need to busy yourself.”

“I don’t d…” Adam failed to find something appropriate to say. “You don’t…”

Jason suddenly sighed, and started undoing the button on his shirt. Adam watched him, a little confused but mostly taken aback. After Jason was done, he took the shirt off and pointed at a scar on his right arm. It was as big as an apple, and was deeply engraved into his flesh. It looked rough and darker than the skin around it. “Can you guess what might have caused this scar?”

Adam tried to guess but failed. It didn’t look like a knife scar, or a burn one, or anything Adam had seen on TV. He shook his head, no.

“When I was twenty-eight, some nasty people captured me a hostage. They locked me into a dark room, tied me to a chair and began to torture me for information,” Jason admitted, making Adam’s eyes go wide. “They didn’t let me sleep for five days, and used everything on me, Adam, everything. They shocked me with electricity, shot me, ripped out my nails and literally skinned my arm.”

Adam suddenly stopped breathing. He gulped, unable to imagine such a horrific thing.

“These sons of bitches took a sharp knife and skinned me like you’d skin an animal,” Jason added, keeping serious eyes locked with Adam. “If I had let this get to me, I would have killed myself many years ago. But I didn’t. I got my fire going and moved on.”

Adam felt a little ridiculous after hearing Jason’s story. Yes, rape was no joke, but, he wasn’t really, really raped. Some assholes tried, but he fought back and got out in one piece. Adam looked at the scar and touched it. A cold shiver went down his spine, as he tried to imagine being skinned alive. Jason must have been in horrible pain. Horrible was a great understatement. He was still touching the scar, feeling the rigid skin, the rough bumps and the hard texture. How could anyone endure this? “Does it still hurt?”

Jason shook his head. “Only in my memories. In reality, no. Time heals everything.”

“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” Adam said. He took a deep breath and let it out, feeling some weight melting away. He stopped touching Jason’s arm and looked ahead.

“It’s okay.”

After that, they both stayed quiet for a long minute, simply looking ahead. Adam was feeling slightly at ease now. Some of the weight on his heart melted away when he talked to Jason, and a part of him wanted to share his experience, too.

“They didn’t… You know,” Adam said, grasping for words.

“You mean put their business in,” Jason said, understanding what he wanted to say somehow like he could read his mind.

Adam nodded, a little ashamed.

“I know, Adam. Everyone knows. Stories spread fast around here. We also know about the guy whose nose you broke, the guy whose arm you bit, the guy you pushed into the wall so hard that you broke his leg, and oh, about biting Fred’s dick.”

Adam was surprised to hear that people were talking about the injuries he’d caused to these men more than they talked about what had actually happened to him.

“That’s a lot of damage you’ve caused there.” Jason sounded like he was complimenting Adam.

Adam smiled, and it felt good. “They brought it to themselves.”

“That’s the spirit!” Jason patted on Adam’s shoulder again. Adam smiled for a while, before he remembered the price he had to pay to be safe. His smile disappeared. “Is Blake…? You know…”

Jason shook his head. “Don’t worry about Blake,” he said. “He’s a good guy.”

Adam didn’t believe him. “He’s basically doing the same thing to me, forcing me against my will,” he pointed out.

Jason nodded. “Yeah, but, he knows when to draw the line. If you tell him to stop, he’s gonna let you go.”

“He knows I can’t go!” Adam yelled, despite himself. “This is, like, extortion or something.”

Jason bowed his head, and took in a deep breath.

“Blake is… rough, alright? He’s stubborn, even more stubborn than you are. He hates when he’s disobeyed, disrespected or ordered around. He can’t stand being interrupted while talking, and hates repeating himself. He can and will be hard on you. He will make you do things that you’re not comfortable with, around times you won’t agree to and he will even enjoy it. But he won’t give you more than you can handle.”

“How is this reassuring?! It’s like saying that this volcano will burn you alive, but at least you won’t be cold in the winter.”

Jason laughed out loud. “Well, I don’t know. But I have seen him with a few guys before you, and somehow, they all seemed to enjoy his company.”

“I doubt that very much,” Adam said, folding his arms at the level of his chest. “They were probably gay to begin with. I am not.”

“Not all of them were gay. Two guys were pretty straight.”

Adam sighed. “How am I supposed to do it with him? I have never even seen a porno of a threesome that had two guys in it!”

Jason looked at Adam and tightened his hand on his shoulder. “Adam? I promise. It’s going to be fine. Luke and I are straight…”

“No you are not! I watched you guys have sex before, so don’t even –” Adam stopped when he realized that he’d just admitted to watching the couple fuck. He swore under his breath.

Jason giggled. “You were watching, huh?” he teased. “Did you like anything you’d seen?’ He wiggled his eyebrows, making Adam roll his eyes.

“You’re an idiot,” Adam said, shaking his head, but smiling. “And no, I didn’t.”

Jason laughed again. “As I was saying, Luke and I used to be straight, but, you know, we tried it out and we liked it.”

Adam twisted his lips, still not convinced. “Have you ever, you know, received?”

Jason nodded freely. “Of course! Luke would have killed me if I said no.”

Adam smiled, and nodded. “You are good together. You balance each other right. You’re sweet, and he’s a crazy maniac.”

Jason laughed again, putting his hand on his belly. “True, just don’t say that in front of him. He’d break your teeth.”

Adam was sure of that. “I won’t.” Adam looked ahead again, staring at the cell. He was feeling a bit lighter now, in a slightly better mood. “Why did you open these two cells together? Did the prison’s owners agreed to this?”

Jason nodded. “Yeah, we paid for all this. This used to look just like any other cell around the prison, but Luke wanted to change things around. He’s very, and I mean very, protective of Blake. He worries too much, especially that Blake gets a lot of threats.”

“I see,” Adam said, looking around again. “Is that why he doesn’t like me? I mean Luke? He sees me as a threat?”

Jason giggled. “I don’t think so. He is just confused. You’re not exactly the type Blake goes for. Luke finds it really hard to adapt to sudden changes. You should have seen him when we first came here. He was… a mess. It’s gonna take him a while to warm up to you. Don’t worry.”

Adam believed him. “Thank you for talking to me.”

“Do you need a hug?” Jason said, opening his arms for Adam. “C’mon I give the best bear hugs.”

Adam shook his head, giggling. “I’m fine thank you.”

“Are you su–?”

Without a warning, Luke walked into the room, looking at a book in his hand, shuffling through the pages. When his eyes fell on Jason in Adam’s bed, with his arms open and without a shirt, he set his jaw. He looked back and forth between Jason and Adam for a moment, before he pointed at Adam with the book in his hand.  
“What the hell are you doing in that thing’s bed?” he asked, frowning at Jason.

“It’s Adam, asshole!” Adam yelled, surprising himself and Luke. “I’m not a thing!”

“Oh there you go,” Jason said, noting the change in Adam’s mood. He patted Adam’s shoulder twice. “You’re back, buddy.”

Adam smiled.

“I liked you better when you were quiet.” Luke was not impressed. Then he turned to Jason. “You’re okay with his tone?”

“Don’t act like you don’t like it,” Jason said as he got up. “You like someone firing back at you, darling.” He walked to Luke slowly, grabbed his waist and kissed him right on the lips. Luke’s eyes went wide, surprised. After Jason broke the kiss, he looked at Luke and wiggled his eyebrows. “Hey.”

“W-What are you doing?” Luke asked, looking a little flustered.

“I’m just showing Adam how okay being with a guy is,” Jason said, leaning in for another kiss. Luke was not interested, so he put the book between their lips. Jason laughed.

Adam actually thought they were cute together.

“Where’s Blake?” Luke asked, looking at Jason. “I have been looking for him everywhere.”

“Christina’s visiting today,” Jason said as he took a step away.

Adam wondered who Christina was, but didn’t ask.

“I didn’t know she was coming today,” Luke complained, shaking his head. “God, he never tells me anything! Why is she here anyway?

Jason looked at Adam for a second, cautious, before he leaned forward and whispered in Luke’s ear. Adam figured that it was between them, so he just gave them a moment.

“Okay. Is it like serious?” Luke asked, looking at Jason.

Jason shook his head. “’Just the usual. He’s probably on his way now.”

Luke nodded. “Okay. Anyway, I brought his book. I’ll leave it on his bed.” Then, he looked at Adam. “You need to shower. You stink. Also, shave whatever that thing is on your face, you look like a homeless man.”

“Come with me, I’ll help you out,” Jason offered with a smile.

“You’re gonna help him shower? How close did you get while I was gone?”

Jason chuckled. “I’m gonna help him shave, idiot.” He gestured to Adam to get up. “C’mon I’ll take you.”

Adam nodded and got up. “Thank you.”

 

~~******* ~~

 

After Jason took Adam to the showers, he asked some razors from the guards, who were happy to comply. It had been so long since Adam saw what his chin looked like. Jason was the one holding the razor, since it was the guard’s only condition to provide it. So, Jason worked slowly, moving Adam’s head from side to side to get batter angles at different spots. It took a lot of time, and a little cut near Adam’s neck, but it was all over in about twenty minutes. After that, Adam was allowed to look into a mirror.

For a long moment, Adam regretted shaving his beard. He was so used his beard by then that looking at his smoothly-shaved face put him off. He kept staring at his face, turning right and left, before he finally looked at Jason.

“I look like a baby,” Adam announced, touching his face.

“A hell of a good-looking baby!”

“Shut up!” Adam smiled, making his one dimple appear. “Which look do you prefer? I feel like the beard looked better on me.”

Jason shrugged, leaning against the wall. “This shows more of your face. I mean, I never noticed that you have a dimple. So, I guess that’s a point.”

Adam nodded. “I was teased in middle school for having one dimple, believe it or not. They called me the incomplete project.”

“Kids are dump,” Jason said, stepping away from the wall. “You need to shower,” he said, throwing the razor in a bin next to the door. “I’ll wait outside.”

“Yeah, okay.” Adam started taking off his shirt, and then his tank top, revealing huge purple bruises that looked like someone’s arms, and some marks around his chest and stomach. Jason did not comment. Adam continued peeling off his clothes and underwear behind the stall, and then jumped under the shower. The water was warm, bordering at hot, which was nice and relaxing.

After he was done, Jason had some clothes ready for him on the counter. Adam put on his clothes as fast as he could, and fixed his hair with his hand. Jason was waiting for him with the guards. When Adam told him that he was done, Jason took him back to their cell. Blake was already back. He was sitting on his bed, with his feet on the floor, shuffling through the pages of the new book. Jason walked to Luke’s bed and sat next to him, while Adam walked to Blake’s bed. He had something he needed to ask.

“Can we talk?” Adam licked his lips, a little nervous. He was standing at the edge of Blake’s bed. Blake used his hand to gesture for him to sit down, not bothering to look up. “Alone?” Adam looked at Jason and Luke.

“Say what you want, we’re not interested,” Luke said, looking in some playing cards.

“Let’s go,” Jason said and grabbed Luke’s forearm, dragging him out of the bed. The cards flew everywhere.

Luke grunted, but let Jason take him out. “Hey, you’re too soft with hi-” It was when Luke noticed Adam’s missing beard. “Hmm, you actually shaved.”

Jason continued to drag Luke away towards the door until they were gone.

“Listen...” Adam started, but Blake put his finger up.

“A second,” he said, still looking into his book. Adam rolled his eyes, but waited.

Technically, the second Blake requested was over a long time ago, but Adam did not want to be a smartass about it.

Finally, Blake straightened up, closed the book and put it on the bed. “What do you wa-” Blake paused. He stared at Adam’s face for a few seconds, before he cleared his throat. “You shaved it.”

“Oh,” Adam responded, scratching his now-bare chin. “Yeah, Luke said I needed a shave. Besides, it’s too much work to keep.”

Blake nodded, reaching to feel Adam’s neck, where Jason cut his skin. “You don’t need more injuries. Be careful.”

“Okay,” Adam said, a little uncomfortable with Blake’s fingers. “Urm, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

Adam licked his lips. “I... When we… I mean…” he could not ask. He couldn’t even remember what he needed to ask.

“Just say it,” Blake said, firmly.

Adam took one deep breath and let it out slowly. “I was just wondering if… we could go slowly? This… I have never done this with a guy before.”

“That’s not a question, that’s a request,” Blake pointed out, shifting his eyes to Adam’s lips for a second before looking back into his eyes. “Come closer.”

Adam licked his lips, a little reluctant.

“You don’t trust me?”

Adam shook his head, no.

Blake didn’t say anything, but kept looking at Adam.

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” Adam said, trying to fix the damage he’d done with his statement.

“It’s fine,” Blake said, getting closer himself. He reached over and touched Adam’s face with the back of his fingers. His hand was warm. Adam gulped as he watched the other man’s face getting closer. “How about…” Blake said, running his nose along Adam’s cheek, all the way up to his ear, “you let me decide what we are going to do from this point forwards?” His lips pressed against Adam’s ear, sending a shiver up his spine, and not a good one.

“But…”

“But?” Blake questioned, his free hand slipping onto Adam’s waist. Adam flinched, but that was about all the movement his body made. “I don’t care what Jason told you.” Blake’s voice was low in Adam’s ear. “He’s a good guy, and likes to believe that I give a crap about what people think.” Blake looked at Adam, holding his chin up. “But you see, if I want you, I’m gonna have you, however I want and whenever I want. Say no, and you’re out of here. Isn’t that the game?”

“So, what, I’m just a little toy for your pleasure?”

Blake got even closer, making Adam’s eyes go wide. “Pretty much,” he said, before pressing a kiss on Adam’s lips.

Adam froze in his place. He didn’t really feel Blake’s lips as much as he felt his mustache and rough stubble digging at the corner of his mouth. It was a foreign feeling that lingered on his skin for a couple of minutes. He gulped, but his mouth was dry so he was really just swallowing air.

“This is your first kiss with a man?” Blake asked, pulling away.

Adam blinked a few times. It finally hit him that a man had just kissed him. “Oh, um, yeah.”

“Alright.” Blake got his book and shifted farther in the bed, resting his back on the headboard and legs on the bed. “You can go if you don’t have anything to add.”

Adam nodded frantically, feeling the cold aura around Blake down to his core. He wanted to yell at Blake and call him a cold monster, but was too scared to go through with it. So, he just got up and walked down to his bed.

The longer he thought about what Blake had said to him, the angrier he got. He kept shooting arrows of hate towards the tall man, hating his guts. As the night progressed, Jason managed to pull Adam to a card game, which took the edge of his anger a little bit and made the night pass peacefully without anything added to Blake’s and Adam’s little conversation.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Adam woke up still bitter at Blake. But the fresh, cool water he washed his face with got rid of some of the anger. The doors were opened, and the prisoners lined up in front of their cells, including Luke, Jason and Captain Ice, Blake Shelton. It was one of these days that Blake got up early and joined everyone in front of the doors. They walked slowly in single file towards the chow hall. Adam’s fury towards Blake melted away as worry started washing over him. Suddenly, all these negative feelings he’d had for the past five days came back swinging, and made him want to run back and hide in his bed.

“It’s going to be fine,” Jason said, patting on his shoulder. “I’ve got your back.”

Adam’s shoulders relaxed under Jason’s hand as he nodded. “Thank you.”

At the chow hall, Adam held his chin up and kept his back straight as he walked to get his breakfast. After he got his plate, he turned around and looked at Blake’s table. He understood what it meant to sit in that empty chair, and he was aware that everyone else knew, too. It made it really hard for him to walk down there, and he froze in his place for a long moment. Jason was looking at him, like he was asking Adam to come closer.

Adam’s eyes wandered around and saw men looking at him. Some were whispering, others were just staring. As he looked around, he saw Fred, staring too. He looked like he wanted to empty a gun into Adam’s head. Adam stared at him for a long time, before he remembered what Jason told him about keeping his fire going. So, he made sure to lock eyes with Fred as he walked his way. When he was at Fred’s table, he stopped and just smiled.

“Hey, buddy, feeling better?” Adam asked. His heart was pounding in his ribcage so hard that he could hear it in his eardrums. Adam heard men laughing at the next table. “Still hurt when you walk around?”

The fork broke in Fred’s hand as he pushed his chair back and got up in one go. Adam just stood there and didn’t move, not even when Fred stomped towards him. He could see Jason walking his way. Fred raised his fist as he marched towards Adam. For a moment, Adam thought he overdid it and that he was actually going to get that punch before Jason got to him. But Jason was there before anything could happen, and stood in front of Adam, pushing him backwards a little.

Fred stopped.

“Get out of my way, Jason” Fred, shouted, still holding his hand up. “You don’t have anything to do with this.”

Jason smiled, and looked at Adam. “What are you talking about? We’re friends. Right, Adam?”

Adam nodded.

Jason then looked back at Fred. “If you touch him, you’re dead meat.”  
Fred’s fist went down, still shaking with anger. He stared at Jason for the longest time, before he shifted his gaze to Adam. “You sold your ass, Levine?”

Adam was dying of embarrassment. He was expecting a comment about that, and thankfully was prepared for it. “Yes, for someone who still has a dick, Princess!” Adam used the same term Fred used to describe him. He made sure everyone heard him say it, and that everyone had their share of the laughter, before he walked to his new table with Jason.

When he first sat on his new table, he could tell that everyone was still looking his way. However, sometime later, they all went back to their own conversations. Luke was shaking his head in disapproval. He was not a fan of Adam’s scenes. Blake, on the other hand, did not comment. He looked grumpy. He yawned once at some point, but that was the only sudden movement that he made the entire time.

After breakfast, Adam went to work like he always did. He was a little skeptical about starting to work again, but it was either that, or sitting in their cell all day with Blake, who may or may not try to do something funny. The work was the usual, insufferable heat, long hours and endless misery. However, they finished eventually. Adam had a visit from Mickey that day, and they talked about his mother and her health. She was fine, and wanted to visit. Mickey said that Jesse was going to bring her soon.

The rest of the day passed without anything memorable. Actually, two weeks had passed without any special events, either. Blake didn’t make a move on him, which was a relief. But not knowing when Blake was going to strike kept Adam on edge the whole time. Adam tried his best not to cause much trouble, kept his head down and did the job he was asked to do at the laundry room. Luke was still unhappy with Adam’s presence, or with Adam’s innocent occupancy of Jason’s time.

Jason was an incredibly gentle soul. He bought Adam breakfast in the morning, asked the guards to watch over Adam at work, and comforted Adam when Luke or Blake yelled at him. He was like the mother of the group, with Blake being the grumpy dad and Luke being the annoying big brother.

People were getting out of his way once they heard that he was Blake’s. Adam liked the new power Blake’s name gave to him, even if he didn’t like Blake too much. Everything fell into place over the course of three weeks. The bruises on his face and body completely disappeared, his self-esteem was through the roof again, and he even got a new hobby.

A group of artists started visiting the prison every Sunday. They came with pencils, papers and coloring pens. When those artists came for the visit, they tried to get as many people to participate as possible, but with not much luck. Adam was one of the four guys that joined and was given a sketchbook, a graffiti pencil and coloring pencils.

Adam used to like drawing when he was a kid, and even won a little competition in middle school. After that, he’d drawn less and less every day, until he eventually stopped around his second year of college. When he was given the sketch book, he had a flashback to when he was eight and his mother bought him this big sketch book for his birthday. It looked exactly like the one he was given in the prison. He smiled.

They were asked to draw anything that they liked. Adam chose to draw a classic Porsche. He was not expecting to be praised or win a prize. He was just drawing because he’d missed being around cars, and to pass time. That was why, when a member of this group complimented him on his drawing, he was a little surprised.

“That’s amazing!” the man said, holding Adam’s sketchbook up. His long blond hair was like a sheet of gold reflecting the sun. “You’re really good.”

“Oh, thank you,” Adam said, looking up at the guy.

“You like cars?” The guy asked, sitting next to Adam.

Adam nodded and looked at the Porsche. “Yeah… The classics interest me.”

“That’s awesome, man!” the guy said. “I’m James, by the way.” He offered his hand to Adam. “James Valentine.”

“Adam Levine,” Adam said, shaking the man’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Same here. Look, you’re really good at drawing,” he said, smiling brightly. “You can keep the sketch book and the pencils if you want. I’d love to see more of your drawings next time.”

Adam smiled. “Sure!”

**~~***~~ **

Everything was going so well that a part of Adam forgot about his deal with Blake. That was until one afternoon, a correctional officer ordered him to stop working and go back to his cell. Adam was confused and asked why. The guard didn’t say. Adam decided to simply do as he was asked, especially since he was so tired by then.

On his way, he started going through theories of why he was sent upstairs. He couldn’t find one that made much sense. That was until he saw Blake in their cell, on the bed. Adam knew, then, exactly why he was summoned.

The guard left after he dropped Adam at his cell, and pulled the door until it was nearly closed. Adam stood there a few feet from the beds and stared at Blake with a dry mouth and a pounding heart. He knew that this day was coming, but a part of him was still hoping Blake might have forgotten about it.

“Why are you standing there?” Blake asked, glancing once at Adam before he put the book down to his side. “Come here.”

Adam licked his lips and did as he asked, stopping just a few inches from the bed. Blake sat up straight, and put his feet on his floor. “Get on your knees.” He ordered, blunt, spreading his legs a little wider.

Actually, Adam didn’t. He had no clue of what to do, or how to start. So, he just froze in his place, hands glued to his side. His chest was heavy and his head spinning a thousand miles per hour.

“I tried to get your first time to be in private,” Blake admitted. “Or do you want it later, when Luke and Jason are around?”

That asshole!

Adam took one step to him before sinking down on his knees, using Blake’s laps for balance. He was blanking out on all of his past experiences, not sure where to touch first. He looked up at Blake as if looking for directions, but Blake was not interested in playing the teacher part. “What…? How should I do it?”

Blake raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never had a blow job before?”

Adam did, he just never gave one. “I have, I just…”

“Do what a woman would do to you,” Blake instructed, still locking eyes with Adam. His instruction was not very helpful, and only made Adam cringe, because in this situation he was the woman.

Adam adjusted on his knees. His breathing was not any steadier than his body. He tried to remember how Carrie started it, and figured that he needed to get Blake’s cock out first. He reached out, held the zipper between two shivering fingers and pulled down. He used his other hand to get Blake’s boxers out of the way, just enough so he could see the base of Blake’s dick.

“Move any slower, and Luke and Jason will be here to catch the show,” Blake warned.

Adam bit his lips. He was getting angry. “I get it okay?!” he said before he could think. “This is my first time, so could you stop pushing me? Ugh, you’re just…!”

“I don’t like the tone of your voice.”

“Well, bite me!” Adam shouted. “You want me, then this is what you get.”

Blake looked him in the eyes for a long moment, and then reached for Adam’s hair. “You have a cute face. I guess I can tolerate your tone… for now.”

Adam looked away. His heart was still pounding in his chest so loud he could hear it in his ears, and feel it in his neck. He licked his lips and decided that the sooner he finished it, the sooner it was all over – for the time being. He took a deep breath as he wrapped the base with his fingers and pulled Blake’s cock out.

The warmth in his hand was surreal, but the thickness of that cock was what got his jaw to drop a little bit. Blake’s cock was uncut and half-hard, bordering around seven inches already. Adam could only imagine how long it was going to be after it was fully erect. The girth was no joke. Adam couldn’t close his fingers around it. The thought of that thing ever going inside him made his ass clench. “ _There was no way that thing was going to fit inside anyone_!” he thought.

Adam kept Blake’s soft cock in his hand, stroking it gently. He couldn’t get his hand to close around Blake’s cock. He pushed the foreskin backward, and a strand of precome slid down the shaft. Adam took a deep breath as he leaned over into Blake’s crotch. The thick musk filled his nostrils, and made him moan in his throat. He didn’t hate it, but didn’t like it either.

He held his tongue out and gave the head of Blake’s cock a lick, then he ran his tongue down along Blake’s shaft, eyes squeezed shut. It tasted salty, just like sweaty skin. Adam moaned. Every inch of his body was begging him to stop, but he was willing to go through with it. Yes, he hated doing it, but he was going to hate being forced in front of some hungry-ass audience even more.

Adam opened his mouth wide, took the head in his mouth, and ran his tongue around it. The taste was spreading on his tongue. Now it wasn’t only salty, but also bitter. Adam pulled it out and used his spit to stroke it up and down, getting it to a full hard-on. It sprang out to more than seven inches, maybe eight or a little more.

Adam placed the head in his mouth again. This time he got closer and relaxed his jaw a little. He sucked on the head like he sucked on a straw, which did not feel quite correct, but he was not much of an expert to know any better. He was still stroking the parts his poor mouth couldn’t reach, and was sure that his hands were the only part Blake enjoyed.

Soon, Adam got used to the feeling of the hard meat in his mouth, the taste. His mouth could now slide up and down Blake’s cock, which Adam believed was a huge improvement. The salty taste was gone by then, and it became just like sucking a thumb, a big, fat thumb.

Time had passed, and Adam could tell that Blake was bored, but still, didn’t say anything. Adam was shit at it, and he knew it. For a second he thought it was going to stay there on his knees forever. Luke and Jason were on their way, and Blake made it pretty clear that he didn’t mind having a live audience. He didn’t know what else to do. He was doing it exactly like Carrie used to do it to him, even more. Then it occurred to him that maybe that was the problem. Carrie was not exactly an expert on how to blow a guy right. She was always clumsy, unwilling and a little whiny at times. Adam pulled out Blake’s cock from his mouth and held it in his hand, trying to remember who gave him the best blow job of his life.

Anna V.

Adam started recalling his girlfriend from college. That girl blew his mind many times before, collected it back together only to blow it up again with her perfect lips. In fact, if he’d ever had to choose a queen for the blow jobs community, he would have picked her every single time. She was the best. Her facial expressions, her playful eyes, and the noise she made, everything she did was measured and purposeful.

Adam was staring at Blake’s cock the whole time, stroking it gently, when he decided to get this thing over with. He took yet another deep breath and grabbed Blake’s cock at the base. Blake’s foreskin was stretched out now, tight over the hard cock, and the veins were thick.

Adam looked up in Blake’s eyes and took half of his cock in his mouth. Blake’s eyebrows sank down a little as he let out a deep breath. Adam moaned as he pulled away, only to slide back in. His hands were still stroking the half his mouth could not immerse. Blake smirked and reached to push Adam’s hair off of his forehead. Adam closed his eyes. His face was burning from mortification.

Adam recalled Anna hollowing out her cheeks as she sucked, which made her mouth nice and tight around his cock. So he did exactly that, feeling Blake’s cock pulsing on the inside of his cheeks. He starting sucking slowly, letting his drool slide down Blake’s cock, coating it nicely.

Blake swore. “There you go,” he praised, running his fingers into Adam’s hair.

For some reason, Adam was pleased with himself. He continued this way. He sucked Blake up and down, hard and mellow, tightly and loosely, providing as much visual as he could: eye contact, intentional moaning and loud smacking sounds. Anna’s face didn’t leave his mind, and he was starting to mimic her slightest movements.

“Fuck…” Blake hissed. His voice was deeper, and his hand gripped in Adam’s hair a little tight.

Adam wanted this to be over so bad, so he started sucking Blake’s cock harder, keeping his eyes on Blake’s. Blake was breathing heavy, sweat covering his eyebrows and the muscles on his neck and shoulders were tense. He was staring down at Adam, running his fingers in Adam’s hair, eyes blown out dark and ears a little red.

Adam could not believe that he was the one making Blake, the most powerful man around the place, look like that. Adam was the one making him look this frantic, agitated and weak. Adam was so lost in that image for a few seconds that he missed the warning. Suddenly, Blake was coming in his mouth with a low grunt. Adam moaned, trying to back away, but Blake’s hand was in his hair keeping him in place. The first couple of shots went straight to his throat, so he had to swallow. But he kept what came next in his mouth. The texture was weird in his mouth, a little slimy and thick.

Before Blake pulled out, he grabbed Adam’s face and kept it up. “Open your mouth,” Blake ordered. Adam didn’t want to. Blake pinched the bottom of Adam’s lips and smirked as he did so, making Adam’s face wrinkle a little in pain. “I said open!”

 _That kinky son of bitch!_ Adam did as he was ordered finally, showing him the cum in his mouth.

“Swallow it,” Blake ordered.

Adam didn’t want to, but if it was what he needed to do to get this over with, he was going to do it. He swallowed, feeling the taste spread over his tongue, and slide down his throat.

“Good boy.” Blake fixed Adam’s hair away from his forehead. “You can get up now.”

Adam stood up as quickly as he could and headed straight to the sink. The first thing he did was spit whatever was left in his mouth. He gargled with clean water for ages and then drank tons of water to wipe all the evidence from his mouth.

He did it. He actually blew a man to orgasm.


	7. Chapter 7

Adam had always loved the summertime. The beaches, the clear blue sky. He was especially fond of the parties he and his friends often attended at the summer nights, the cool dirty martinis at the bar and the loud music they danced to. Unfortunately, he was missing out on all that, stuck in a small cell with people that he didn’t really like, and working a job that drained every bit of patience he had.

Things had been rattled around the prison, since a group of inspectors decided to pay the private facility a visit. They were said to be staying there until the end of June, hiding between the employees and even the prisoners. They were there to check on the state of living, the cleanliness of the place, and how much the prison’s regulations applied to human rights.

It was hectic. The guards were extra cautious, strict. The prison management decided to shake things up a bit. They allowed the general population to shower three times a week instead of just two, raised the quality of the food and tightened their grip around the dangerous prisoners. They were anxious to have the mess they couldn’t control go by unnoticed.

During the short months Adam had already spent in that prison, he had noticed the corruption looming around the place right away. The guards used excessive force with inmates, smuggled drugs and prostitutes in and even smoked on duty. The laundry room was worse. It was like the black market of the prison. There, you could get anything you want, from things as simple as condoms to highly controlled substances, like cocaine.

Adam didn’t give the inspectors too much attention. Since he joined the three inmates on the third floor, he cared less and less about whatever was happening around the institution, and rarely talked to anyone from the general population. He couldn’t, even if he wanted to. Everyone was avoiding him, getting out of his way. He liked that at first, but after a while he started to feel lonely. That was not him. He liked meeting new people, talking with them.

In his old cell, he had CeeLo to chat with, or his songs to listen to. Now, he spent most of his time sketching or just lying there, staring at the ceiling. As nice as Jason was, he was not exactly the chatty type. He and Adam weren’t really connected on any level, didn’t have anything in common and barely could hold up a conversation for longer than five minutes. Luke was a pure jerk, so Adam tried to avoid talking to him. And Blake, or as Adam liked to call him, Captain Ice, spent most of his time reading, not paying attention to the world.

On the second Sunday of June, Adam called his mother for the first time since his admission. He was happy to hear her voice, and learn that she was doing well, that her health was okay. He missed her so much and wished he could see her. Jesse had offered to bring her for a visit, but Adam refused. He couldn’t let her see him in this situation, break her heart even more than it already was. She was one of the most sensitive people he’d seen, and he knew that she wasn’t going to handle seeing him like this well.

It was for the best.

**~~***~~ **

After Adam’s mouth had lost its virginity, Blake had asked for him every two or three days, thankfully in private. He would send for Adam during work hours, or just drag him back to their cell during leisure time. Adam hated it as much as the next straight man. However, the more he did it, he couldn’t help but notice the progress he was making. Yes, he was still clumsy handling Blake, but came to know all of Blake’s sweet spots. He learned about what turned the older man on and off, and what drove him wild. So that made the time he spent on his knees shorter.

At the same time, he was getting angrier with the country man. They did it too often, and with little talking involved. Adam struggled with accepting the idea of him being a toy in Blake’s hands, but never said a word. Yes, he was riled up and frustrated with the whole situation, but he also knew the risks of angering a man twice his size. So he kept his words to himself, fizzing just at the tip of his tongue. That was until one day, a week after the inspection began.

As always, Blake sent a guard to get him from the laundry room, like he was summoning a butler. Adam stared at Blake from his place at the door, arms folded at the level of his chest and eyebrows furled. He watched as the country man sat on the smallest bed, which was Adam’s, like he didn’t have any care in the world. Adam hated how confident he was that he was getting what he wanted regardless of what Adam was thinking. He was acting like he owned Adam, and that got under Adam’s skin.

“Yesterday!” Adam said like he couldn’t believe it. “Are you kidding me?! I just did it to you yesterday! You’re doing this to annoy me, aren’t you?”

Blake looked at him and chose to ignore Adam’s question. “I said come here.”

Adam gritted his teeth and walked to Blake. “I’m not your fucking whore! Will it kill you to treat me like a human for once in your life? I get it, I need your help! But you don’t have to exploit the leverage you have over me!” He stood just a few inches from the bed. “I don’t enjoy being toyed around with.”

Blake sighed. “And I don’t enjoy repeating myself. So get down on your knees. I don’t have time for your drama.”

“God, you’re such an asshole!” Adam yelled, despite his best attempt to keep his anger inside.

“Excuse me?”

The gates to his angry side had already been opened and there was no way they were closing again. He’d been enduring this guy for some time now, and could no longer bear him going all mafia on him.

“Oh, did I offend you?” Adam snapped. His hands curled into two fists at his sides. “You know what your problem is? You think that you’re so tough, that you’re above everything and everyone! But guess what, cowboy? You’re not! You’re full of crap!”

Blake’s gritted his teeth, eyebrows sinking down. “Alright. I have tolerated this shit long enough. Let’s put a few things straight. First, don’t you ever, and I mean ever, call me that again!”

“Or what?”

“I’ll break your neck.” Blake stared right into Adam’s eyes. “Second, if you don’t want to do it, then all you have to say is stop.”

Adam grunted in frustration, the muscles in his neck clenched. “That’s the fucking thing! I can’t say stop, because you’ll stop protecting me, and I’ll have a shitload of assholes coming my way!”

“Well, you should have kept your damn mouth shut then,” Blake said. “You did it to yourself! If anything, you should be thanking me. If it weren’t for me, you’d be dancing on some man’s dick downstairs!”

Adam’s nostrils flared with rage. Without thinking, his hand went up in the air and landed on Blake’s cheek. The sound of the flesh smacking echoed in the small cell, dampening all other sounds. Blake took a moment to absorb what had just happened and then looked at him for a long moment.

“You think you’re doing me a favor?!” Adam howled in disbelief. “Is that how much of a god you think you are?!”

Blake was still silent, looking at Adam with escalating anger.

Adam continued. “If you think, for one moment, that I o-”

Hastily, Blake grabbed Adam’s arm tight and dragged him forward. Then he basically tossed him there on the bed. For those few seconds Blake manipulated his body, Adam lost full control over his own muscles, and it froze the words in his mouth. Blake held Adam’s hands over his head and straddled him at the hips, pinning him down even more. Adam squirmed under him, trying to get out of his grip with no luck. “Let go of m–!”

“Don’t you fucking dare hit me again!” Blake threatened, interrupting Adam. Adam looked into his furious eyes and swallowed. His voice was shrinking little by little, until he couldn’t say a word. “Don’t forget your place. I own your ass!”

Adam gritted his teeth. “You own nothing!” Adam said, still squirming under Blake. Blake grabbed his wrists tighter and shoved them down into the pillow. Adam groaned in pain. “Let go!”

Blake kept looking down at him, jaw clenching and nose flaring with fury. He didn’t say anything, however. They just stared dead into each other’s eyes. Adam was angry and hurt, while Blake was, well, just mad. Adam felt the urge to punch him in the face, run him over with a car or kick him in the balls. But he was bound from every angle, unable to move. They glowered in each other’s eyes some more, saying nothing.

Suddenly, Blake’s eyes shifted to Adam’s lips and stayed there for two long seconds. Adam didn’t know what to do, so he writhed under Blake some more, earning him an angry look from Blake. There was a hint of something else in the depth of Blake’s blue eyes besides anger, but Adam didn’t know what it was. He hated how hard it was to read Blake, how much of a blank page his eyes were.

“What are you looking at?” Adam asked when Blake’s stares lasted a bit too long.

“Open your mouth,” Blake ordered.

Adam rolled his eyes. “Why the hell would I do this?”

Blake sighed sharply. “Just do it.”

“Or what?”

Blake’s jaw clenched. “I’m gonna break your teeth.”

Adam swallowed, and looked deeper in Blake’s eyes as if to determine if he was serious. He knew by then that these were all are just hollow threats, but the possibility of Blake being serious made him a little nervous. “Fine!” He was reluctant, but opened his mouth slightly for two seconds and then closed it.

“Keep it open.”

Adam snorted. “Ah, for god’s sake!” When Blake’s eyes squinted, Adam just did as he said to get it over with. He opened his mouth again.

Blake looked at him for one more second, before his hands tightened around Adam’s wrists. He leaned forward, keeping his eyes on Adam, like an animal watching his prey. Adam swallowed, arched his back up, a little uncomfortable under Blake’s heavy body. Without a warning, Blake’s lips were on top of his. A moan of surprise escaped his throat and his blinking stopped. His entire body froze, and his brain ran a thousand miles per hour, trying to process what was happening. Adam’s eyes went wide when he felt Blake’s tongue in his already open mouth.

Blake was kissing him.

Adam turned his head away, but Blake’s lips followed his movement and continued to kiss him. Adam considered biting, but Blake was already angry as it was, and Adam really wanted to keep his teeth. So, he powered through it. A few moments passed, and all Adam could focus on was Blake’s facial hair dragging on his skin. It was strange feeling.

Blake kissed him for a bit longer, skillfully. Adam’s face was getting warmer. Whether he liked Blake or not, he was feeling it. Every time, Adam closed his mouth to prevent Blake from exploiting him, Blake’s lips would only have to kiss him a couple of times before Adam willingly opened his mouth for him again. Before he knew it, his eyes were closed and he was making out with Blake on the bed.

Blake kissed Adam with his tongue, teeth and lips. His hands let go of Adam’s wrists after a while and held his face instead. Adam’s arms stayed up there for a couple of seconds before they slid down and stayed by his side. He was completely at this man’s mercy. Blake’s hands slipped down to his shoulders as he kissed around Adam’s face. Adam reached over and held the back of Blake’s head and brought him back to his mouth, took control of the kiss. His other hand went up to Blake’s shoulder and he pulled him farther down to him.

He couldn’t stop, even when he wanted to. He liked the way Blake’s mouth tasted, the way his tongue moved in his mouth, his teeth tugged at his lips. His body was responding beyond his control. For a while, he forgot the nature of their relationship and invested fully in that kiss, breathing into Blake, feeling his face and hair, drawing him closer.

“Oh, shit!” A voice came from behind Blake, breaking their lips. It was Jason’s. Adam tried to get up, but Blake was on top of him, heavy and not letting him up. “Sorry, I didn’t know you two… I’m just gonna go.”

Adam’s face became hot, burning from embarrassment. He couldn’t help but want to disappear. Blake sighed, sat on his heels and looked at Adam. He didn’t look angry anymore. If anything, he looked kind of frantic. A few moments later, he got up and fixed his clothes. “You can go if you want.”

Adam finally sat up and looked at him. “I thought you wanted…”

Blake interrupted him. “I’m no longer in the mood, thanks to you. You can leave.”

Adam licked his lips. “Good.”

Adam didn’t leave though. He just stayed in his bed and watched as Blake went to his and sat down. He was still in shock of what he’d done. He’d kissed Blake, felt his wet tongue, his breathing and his teeth on him. And he fucking liked it! Adam looked at Blake, and tried to leave his anger aside for a moment.

Blake was not actually a bad-looking dude. He was in good shape, had sky-blue eyes, smooth salt-and-pepper hair, and gentle features despite his cold nature. His jawlines were so sharp they could cut into diamond, and his legs were long, making his body both intimidating and admirable at the same time.

Adam felt angry every time he looked in his face, not only because he was taking advantage of Adam’s situation, but also because he looked like he was constantly smoldering at everything and everyone.

Adam lay back on the bed. He stared at the ceiling and sighed out. What the hell was he thinking?

He was going crazy.

~~******** ~~

 

Since the inspectors spread around the place, Blake requested Adam’s “services” less. The guards couldn’t keep sending Adam back to his cell without having the inspectors noticing. Adam was happy with the restrictions that came with the superintendents. It gave him some time to calm his confused brain. He tried to convince himself that he had to do it, that it was all for the privileges and the protection Blake was providing.

He hoped these investigations stayed forever or at least lasted longer. He was starting to find his way back to his old self, the innocent guy who only enjoyed women’s company. However, that didn’t last for too long. Blake still asked for Adam’s mouth a week after their kiss. Blake had expressed before that he did not mind having Luke and Jason watching Adam as he served, and to Adam’s shock, Blake was not joking.

It was one of these nights Adam just lay down in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking of all the things he liked to do, but couldn’t anymore.

“Adam, get down here,” Blake called, suddenly. His thick voice should have been the tip off for what he had in his mind, but being the innocent straight man that Adam was, he assumed that Blake actually needed something else. So, he got off of his bed and walked to Blake. The room got quieter, and Luke faced away from Blake’s bed. That should have been his second tip off.

“What’s up?” Adam asked without a clue in his mind.

His eyes went wide when Blake gestured for him to get on the bed.

“Come here,” Blake said, as he put his book on the table. Adam’s heart fell to his feet, and his chest literally stopped moving for a couple of seconds.

“You... You’re joking. R-right? We’re not…. No… No… What about…?” Adam took a step back. There was no way he was doing this in front of Luke and Jason, especially Luke. That asshole was always looking for a way to make Adam feel small and humiliated.

“Oh, please, don’t mind us,” Luke said, still giving Adam his back. “We’re just here to watch.”

Adam gritted his teeth together, and curled his hand into fists. “I am not doing it!”

“I’m not gonna say it again,” Blake said, looking in Adam’s eyes. “You do as you’re asked! Unless you’re ready to leave? In that case, you will be transferred to a new cell by the morning. Do you want to leave?”

Adam’s toes curled in his shoes. He couldn’t leave, not with those two gangs still hovering over his shoulders.

“That manipulative psychopath!” Adam thought as he walked to Blake’s bed again. He dared to say nothing out loud, but in his head he was imagining dropping a wrecking ball on top of Blake’s head. Blake’s eyes watched him silently, which made Adam even angrier. They looked like they could pierce through Adam, see his darkest secrets, and strip him bare.

It was the first time Adam was allowed on Blake’s bed. He was always on his knees, on the floor and between Blake’s legs. The bed was soft, and the sheets were incredibly gentle under Adam’s fingers. It was not the prettiest bed Adam had ever seen, but, damn, it was so soft it made Adam’s bed feel like a wooden board.

After Adam was on the bed, he struggled to find a way to do what he was expected without looking awkward. Blake grabbed his arm and pulled him closer, until Adam had no choice but straddling Blake’s lap. Adam could feel Blake’s cock hard under him.

“Were you reading a porno or something?” Adam asked, trying his best not to press his ass against Blake’s dick. “Why are you this hard?”

Blake smirked. “Yes. You can borrow the book if you want.”

Shameless!

Blake leaned forwards, gathered Adam’s hair in one hand and ran his nose up Adam’s cheek. His breathing was tickling, but warm and gentle. Adam took a look at the two guys on the other bed and found that they weren’t watching. He hated this, but a kiss on his cheek distracted him.

Adam didn’t exactly hate it, but the way Blake’s stubble was scraping onto his face was still an odd sensation. Adam swallowed and put his hands on Blake’s shoulders for balance. Blake’s lips moved around Adam’s cheek, neck and shoulder, pressing long, wet kisses on his skin. They calmed Adam down a little, and he found his body getting warmer.

“Move your hips,” Blake whispered in Adam’s ear. His hands were tight on Adam’s hips, moving them back and forth, showing Adam how he wanted him to move. The feeling of Blake’s hard cock under his ass sent shivers down his nerves. “Let me feel that pretty ass of yours.”

Adam did as he was asked, without protest. He was hoping Blake would enjoy a little dry hump instead of a blow job. He moved his hips back and forth, just like Blake showed him, feeling Blake’s dick under his ass. Blake’s lips were soft, whispering praises in Adam’s ear. Adam liked Blake’s whispering voice for some reason, and he leaned into the big guy. He was getting hotter. His dick felt it too, and sprung out an embarrassing boner in his pants.

Blake smirked on his neck, lips moving down Adam’s shoulder, while his hands slipped under Adam’s clothes and ran up his inked back. Adam enjoyed the feeling. It had been too long since he was intimate with anyone. Blake’s hands were warm, tracing the length of his spine.

Shit, he was turned on by a man.

Adam’s hand curled into Blake’s clothes, unable to think straight, no pun intended. His hips were moving in earnest, dick throbbing in his pants.

Blake’s right hand went in Adam’s pants, grabbed his penis and pulled it out. Adam gasped, teeth digging into his lower lip. Blake started stroking it right away, teasing the head with his thumb. Adam’s eyes closed. A slow burn started washing over his body like waves. He never thought he’d enjoy any other hands around his dick but his own, but Blake’s hand felt good, not too loose and not too tight. Just… perfect.

He wanted to do the same to Blake. For a second he hesitated, scared of what it meant. If he willingly did it to Blake it’d be like endorsing whatever that thing was they were doing, which was still a hard pill to swallow. Reluctantly, he went against his rational mind, pulled Blake’s boxers down with one hand and pulled his cock out with the other, keeping eye contact the whole time. Blake hissed and grunted softly, before he pressed a long kiss behind Adam’s ear.

“There you go,” Blake whispered, biting the lobe of Adam’s ear.

“Shut up.”

Blake smirked on his cheek and kissed him.

Adam didn’t know why these praises always managed to get him so worked up. It made him unable to think about anything but pleasing Blake and making him feel good. He looked down at Blake’s thick cock in his hand, and he wanted to make it feel good. He stroked it in sync with Blake’s hand around his. Blake let go of Adam’s cock for a few seconds and began flicking the buttons on Adam’s shirt open. Adam surprised himself by not objecting.  
He was actually doing this, letting a man touch him. When his shirt was off and on the bed, Blake went back to rubbing his cock, as he pressed kisses all over Adam’s neck and bare shoulder. Adam kept jerking Blake’s cock off, letting Blake do as he pleased to his body, which Blake did. He touched, he licked, and he bit. Adam couldn’t utter a word. He was enjoying it, and his body rejected the idea of stopping midway.

Blake sighed, catching Adam’s attention. Adam knew that Blake was close. He didn’t have to look to know. He could tell by the way the veins pulsed under his fingers. He was close himself. He looked at Blake and pressed their foreheads together. They looked at each other as they finished each other off, barely blinking or talking. He felt so good. It’d been too long since he had anyone touch him like that, too long since he had any form of relief. That was probably why he let his guard down with Blake.

He leaned in closer, and kissed Blake. Blake let out a moan of surprise, but didn’t take too long before he was kissing back. The taste in his mouth had Adam’s head spinning, and his hand tightened around Blake’s cock. He was so close, and he wanted Blake to cum too, with him. He jerked Blake’s dick faster, feeling as Blake did the same to him. Suddenly, Blake grunted low in his mouth and his cum was hot on Adam’s hand. At the same time, Adam was coming too. Their lips parted for a few seconds to catch their breath, but soon slotted back together and started kissing again.

Some minutes later, they parted. Adam put his forehead on Blake’s shoulder and relaxed. It was the first time Adam smelled Blake’s cologne. It smelled like fresh pine combined with a strong woodsy scent. It was like taking a little walk in a forest after it rained for a while. Adam liked it so much that he stayed in his place longer, enjoying the smell alongside to the wet afterglow washing over his entire existence.

“You need to get up,” Blake said in his ear. “C’mon.”

Adam was not that guy that liked to talk or do anything after sex, which was one of the things his past girlfriends found annoying. He just liked to take a short nap, maybe just lay there, resting.

“Hey, you’re up?” Blake asked in full voice now. Adam nodded.

“Let me stay here. I like the bed.”

Blake sighed. His hand went in Adam’s hair and threaded through it, as his lips put kisses on the side of Adam’s neck. “Okay, but get off me.”

Adam nodded and did as he was told. After he was off Blake’s lap, he lay down on the bed, gave Blake his back and relaxed his body. Blake was nice enough and pulled the covers up over Adam’s body. Adam gave him one puzzled look as he did so, but Blake didn’t say anything. Adam didn’t try to question, though. It felt like he was at home under those soft covers, so safe and warm.

~~******* ~~

Adam remembered the first time he woke up in Blake’s bed. It was so comfortable and warm. Blake was next to him, lying on his side.

Adam stared at Blake’s face for a long time, noting every small detail. He didn’t look like a bad guy whilst sleeping, and didn’t have that knot between his eyebrows. His hair was sticking to his sweaty forehead and his ears were bright red. He was actually cute like this. When Adam reached over to touch his face, Blake’s eyes snapped open. His hand reached under the pillow, pulled out something and pointed it at Adam.

It was a gun, a black one.

Blake didn’t seem like he was fully awake yet, and it scared Adam. His heart started racing, as he tried to get up. He shook his head. “No no no! I’m sorry, I was just...”

He stopped talking when Blake pulled away the gun with a sigh.

Adam got up immediately and glued himself in a corner. “That’s a gun, why do you have a gun?”

Blake didn’t say anything and put the gun back under the pillow.

Luke and Jason got up, alarmed, especially Luke, who actually got out of his bed. “What’s going on?” asked.

“He has a gun!” Adam announced, pointing at the pillow. He’d never been this close to a weapon before. “He has a gun under the pillow!”

“So?” Luke asked casually, as he sat down.

“It’s illegal, isn’t it?” Adam questioned, before he turned to Blake, who was lying back down to sleep. “Why do you have a gun? Get up, and answer me!”

“Sleep or I’ll make you sleep forever myself,” Blake snarled, threatening.

It froze the words in Adam’s mouth. Adam looked up at Jason, who asked him to calm down.

“It’s for protection,” Jason explained, calmly. “He gets threats sometimes. Last year someone was sent to kill him here, and Blake got shot in the shoulder. So, the warden allowed him to have the gun. He’s a friend of ours.” Jason was lying back down. “Don’t worry. Just get back to sleep. It’s still too early for breakfast.”

“Thank you,” Adam said. Why couldn’t the other two be more like Jason, thoughtful?

 

~~******* ~~

 

The inspectors had a small tour around the third block, interviewing everyone. They would talk to inmates in the backyard, the work rooms and even in their cell. Adam noticed a tall, thin man staring in Blake’s direction one afternoon, one of the inspectors.

He was not particularly ugly, but the way he stared at Blake sent the creeps down Adam’s spine. His face was long, and his eyes hid behind wide, oval glasses. Adam thought that Blake was in some sort of trouble, or that the slender man was assigned to kill him. Either way, Adam didn’t want to be involved, so he avoided looking directly at the slender man.

One evening, two inspectors visited their cell. One of them was that slender man, the other man looked like his assistant. Adam swallowed and looked at Jason. Jason just smiled and patted on an empty place next to him, instructing Adam to come closer. Adam was worried, so he did as Jason asked. He was not going to be in the middle if they decided to shoot each other.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” Slenderman said, politely, sitting down on Adam’s bed. “My name is Charles Lock, for the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission. I’m here to investigate the state of living around the prison.”

Jason was the only one that greeted him with a smile and a tight handshake that Charles welcomed. Blake didn’t even bother to get up, or leave his book. Luke kept staring at the slender man, and Adam looked at all the new faces, confused. Slenderman pulled some paper from his file and gave it to his assistant, who walked to the inmates and handed them the sheets.

Charles then crossed his legs and continued. “Please, write down your name, your conviction and the craft or job you’re currently occupying. Under that, you’ll find some multiple choice questions. Please make sure to answer them.”

Adam looked at Jason, a little skeptical. Jason told him that it was fine. Adam didn’t see any harm in doing as the man said.

“Mr. Shelton, right?” Charles asked, looking at Blake. “I heard so much about you, that you can still do anything from your place.” He sounded a little careful with his words, a little suggestive too. “The free man in LASP, that’s your name outside, Mr. Shelton.”

Blake glanced up at Charles with no interest in his eyes.

“If there’s anything you need?” Charles said, licking his lips. “I would love to make it happen! Maybe we can arrange something together?”

Blake looked at the slender man for a few more seconds before he put down his book. “Why don’t you come closer, so we can talk privately?” He suggested as he sat up, putting his feet on the floor.

Charles was surprised at the proposal, but smiled and got up anyway. He walked slowly and carefully to Blake’s bed, holding the file to his side. He sat down a few inches from Blake, and sucked in a deep breath when he looked up at Blake, probably intimidated by Blake’s size. Still, he leaned over and said something in Blake’s ear, covering half of their faces with the files in his hand.

Adam was watching dumbfounded as these two whispered to each other like best friends. Who the hell was Blake? Luke nudged his side with his elbow, making him realize that he was staring like an idiot. Adam looked in the paper he was given and started filing the blanks. Under conviction he wrote “Nothing.” He gave the food 2\10, the laundry room 6\10, and the showers: 7\10 and everything else he gave a solid 5. Under suggestions he wrote “Fire Samuel, the chef.”

When he was done, he looked up at Blake and Charles. Blake had an empty paper on which he was writing something. At first, Adam thought he was doing the same as them, but then he folded the paper and gave it to Slenderman. Charles took one look at it and smiled. He seemed relieved in a way. The wrinkles between his eyebrows were gone, and his shoulders seemed relaxed.

After the inmates handed their papers over, Charles took one look at Adam’s paper, and then looked back at Adam and laughed. “What is your full legal name, Mr. Levine?” he asked Adam.

“Adam Noah Levine.”

The man nodded. “I’ll see if I can change the chef, but, that will take a while.”

“It’s fine,” Adam said. He was feeling a little guilty that he’d misjudged the man. He actually seemed polite. “Thank you for your time.”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Levine, anything for Mr. Shelton’s friends.”

Charles then said goodbye to the three inmates, and offered his hand to Blake in gratitude. Blake shook his hand and nodded as if reassuring him.

Adam waited until the three inspectors had left and the door closed behind them to ask. “What did you talk about?” Adam asked Blake, actually thinking that he might have had an answer.

“None of your business,” Blake said.

Adam turned to Jason, but he too had no idea, the same as Luke.

Adam had to settle for nothing, then, and went back to his bed.

 

~~******* ~~

 

In the middle of the night, Adam heard Blake talking. It was more of a loud whisper, really. He was saying something about a little girl. Adam couldn’t hear much. So, he got up to see what was going on. Luke was sitting at Blake’s bed, while Jason stayed on his own.

“Is everything okay?” Adam asked, sitting up.

“Yeah, go back to sleep,” Luke said, looking both angry and worried at the same time. When Adam looked at him, confused, Luke yelled, “Now!”

Adam rolled his eyes. “You know, it also works if you asked nicely, asshole!”

“Alright, how about this - please go back to sleep, or I’m gonna squeeze every drop of blood out of your nose,” he threatened. “Oh wait, did I say ‘Please?’”

Adam sat up on the bed, feet on the ground. “Well, how about you go to hell, burn a thousand times, and then come back and kiss my ass?! I am not your little toy! I do what I want!”

Luke almost got up to beat Adam, and it scared Adam a little bit. Thankfully, Blake grabbed Luke’s forearm. Luke tried to get him off him, but Blake was too strong.

“Let me! I need to smash that little punk’s face!” Luke yelled, before he looked at Adam again. “You think yourself tough, ha? I’ll show you what’s tough when I turn you into some food for my cats!”

“Stop, both of you.” Blake yelled.

“Oh, I’d love to see you try!” Adam dared.

“You fucking...!” Luke broke out of Blake’s grip, making Adam’s heart drop in his chest. He stomped towards Adam, with his fist closed tight to his sides. Adam got up and decided he wasn’t going take this bullshit anymore. Yes, he was going against his frightened heart, but he didn’t care.

Luke punched him so hard in the face that Adam lost his balance and fell on the bed. Adam tried to get up, but Luke got on top of him and punched him again. Adam used his legs to push Luke away, which caused the other man to fall on the floor. When he got up, Adam punched him in the face.

That was when Blake got out of the bed and grabbed Luke by the back of the neck. “I said stop!” he yelled, so loud.

Luke got quieter, still giving Adam threats with his eyes. Blake pushed Luke to his bed, and walked to Adam. He gripped his face.

“Let’s get something straight,” Blake said, grabbing Adam’s face tighter. “I don’t like troubles. What just happened w-”

“It is not my fault!” Adam said, interrupting, sounding funny. “He was searching for trouble! What was I supposed to do? Be his punching ba–”

Blake squeezed Adam’s face harder, making Adam groan in pain. “Never interrupt me! NEVER!”

Blake’s voice was like thunder in his ears. Adam’s eyes went wide, and could only focus of the anger in Blake’s eyes. He nodded.

“As I was saying, if, for any reason, a fight like that starts again? I will crush your teeth and throw you out! What we say, what we do? It’s none of your damn business. You just do what you’re told, and that’s it!”

Adam looked at Blake in the eyes for a long moment. His face was hurting because of Blake’s hand, and his pride bleeding. He felt too small, and wished Blake would say anything to Luke to even them out, but he didn’t. Why would he? Luke was his friend, while Adam was barely anything to him. He could see the grin on Luke’s face from the corner of his eyes, and it filled him with nothing but anger.

“Get back to sleep. I’m not gonna say it again,” Blake warned. “Understand?”

Adam was too shocked to answer.

“Do you understand?” Blake repeated, livid.

Adam winced but nodded. Blake let go of him. Adam fell on his bed and sat there for a couple of seconds, still angry and hurt. Jason looked sorry for him, but said nothing. Eventually, Adam went back to lying down in bed, but not before he made sure Luke saw his middle finger clearly. His face was sore against the pillow. He could still feel Luke’s knuckles on his face, Blake’s angry globes looking down on him. He really felt like a little kid, whose parents sent him to his room.

Soon, the three friends decided to turn off the lights and sleep too.

Jerks!


	8. Chapter 8

As expected, things became tense around the table and at the cell after that encounter. Adam was still in pain, and angry. As always, Jason was the gentleman between the three inmates. He talked to Adam, and apologized for his friends. Adam wondered why Blake couldn’t just be more like Jason. For a moment, when Jason gave him a hug a couple of days later, Adam wished Jason was the one who’d asked for him.

It was another Sunday, and Adam forgot his fury. He was excited for the artists visiting. That Sunday, a new member had been added, an unusual one. She was not as old as the other female artists, and it made him wonder what the hell she was doing in such place? She had her hair up in a tight bun, and her feet in cool white sneakers. The baby-blue shirt the group wore was hugging her tall torso perfectly, and her long legs looked amazing in the white pants.

It took his mind off of the car he was drawing, and before he knew it, he was drawing her face next to the car. She was the most beautiful thing he’d seen in a long time. A few minutes later, she was standing before him, looking down at his drawing with the most contagious smile ever.

“Hey,” she said, looking him in the eyes and sitting down next to him. “That’s beautiful! I meant the car, not me! I didn’t mean your sketch of me is bad either, you drew me beautifully! I… oh my god…. you know what I mean.”

Adam laughed. She was so cute, all flustered.

“Thank you,” Adam said. “Sorry, I should have asked your permission before…”

She shook her head. “Oh, no, no! It’s okay. You’re really good at this,” she said, offering her hand to Adam. “I’m Behati, Behati Prinsloo. I’m a high school teacher.”

Adam smiled back and shook her hand. “That’s an unusual name, pretty, though. Mine is Adam, Adam Levine, a car salesman. Well, used to.”

“Did you have your own dealership, or...?”

 

Adam shook his head, no. “I worked for my uncle at CarMax.”

  
“That’s cool,” she said. “I have never needed a car before. I used to live in a small city in Chicago, but I just moved in a new house here in LA, so…”

“It’s been hard traveling around without a car?” Adam finished for her.

She smiled and nodded. “Yeah. It’s a big city.”

Adam agreed. “Yeah. So, you’re looking for a car to buy?

“Yeah. I have been looking at some cars for a while now. I’m still not sure what to buy.”

“What kind of cars are you looking for?” Adam felt like he was at his uncle’s dealership, meeting up with a new client.

Behati shrugged. “I’m not sure. I want a nice car, not too expensive. My mother and I are going to buy it together, so…We’re on a tight budget, but not too tight. I really don’t know what I need, I mean, I know what I want, a good-looking car, but… Am I making any sense?”

Adam smiled. “I know exactly what you mean,” he said, putting down the pencil. “Sometimes, what you want and what you need are completely different. When you buy a car you need to consider a few things before –”

“Like what?” she interrupted.

“Oh, well, do you want to buy a new one or used one? How much money are you willing to pay? How many times are you going to use it every day? Do you have a family, or drive alone? Do like classics or moderns? You know, those kinds of things.”

Behati thought about it for a second. “Well, I want a new car if possible, modern. I have two children, Dusty and Gio. My husband passed away, so we’re living with my mother.”

“I’m so sorry,” he said, offering his condolences.

“It’s okay,” she said, looking a little sad. She was quick to change the subject. “Anyways, my kids are in school, so, I usually pick them up after school. I drive there in the morning. I go to work five days a week, and to the grocery store every now and then.”

Adam started recalling the cars in his uncle’s dealership under 15 grand. Then he said, “A new car on a budget is a little tricky. I can some used ones under $10,000, if that what you’d like.”

“I can go a little higher than 40 grand?”

Adam took a deep breath as he thought about it for a second. “In that case, Jaguar F-Pace is one of my all-time favorites. My uncle sells a lot of these. It’s around $41,000. Has a clean cut, carries a lot of weight and fits five adults. It’s quiet and you can also upgrade the engine to three generations ahead.”

“My colleague actually has this car. She drove me home once, and it was super comfortable.”

“It’s a good car. It sold pretty well when it came out,” Adam informed her. “Jaguar sold about, I guess it was around 400,000 of them in 2016, which was, like, a record for them.”

“Wow,” she responded. “I’m definitely going to check it out. Can I have the address? You said your uncle sells a lot of these.”

Adam took a clean paper and wrote the address down. “There, you go,” he said, as he gave her the paper.

She looked at the address and then folded it and put it in her pocket. “Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome,” Adam said, looking back at his drawing. She looked at it too.

“So, what kind of cars do you like?”

Without thinking, he replied, “Mercedes-Benz W113, 280, a classic beauty.” He said, imagined the car in front of him and smiled. “I have wanted one for a while. I have been saving for it with no luck. Then, I was sent here, so, I guess I should give up on that now.”

“Why are you in here?”

Adam’s smile faded a little. He stayed quiet for a second, considering lying, but he was a horrible liar. Besides, she could easily ask around. “Do you really want to know?” Adam asked.

Behati shrugged. “I have seen a lot of prisoners with different convictions. So, I don’t think you can surprise me here,” she admitted.

Adam looked away and licked his lips. “Murder. I’m here for murder.”

He heard her take in a deep breath, and thought she was going to get up, and leave. But she didn’t. “You don’t look like a murderer,” she said, looking him in the eyes still. He took it as a compliment. “Did you do it?” Behati asked in a gentle voice.

He looked away. “Would you believe me if I said no?”

“Look at me and answer, and then I’ll decide. I’d like to believe that I know how innocent people look like.”

“An expert!” Adam was sarcastic about it.

Behati stayed quiet for a second. “Yes. Five years ago, my husband was wrongfully convicted of first degree murder,” she started, making his eyes go wide. “Everyone thought he did it, even his parents. Three years later, his case was reopened and his name was cleared.”

“That’s good for him.”

She looked too sad. “He killed himself,” Behati said, voice a little choked with tears that refused to leave her eyes. “He ended his life one month before the case was reopened, so he was never really out.”

“I’m so sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.”

Behati shook her head. “It’s fine,” she said. “That’s why I’m doing these tours, hoping to give people like him some hope.”

“That’s really sweet of you!”

She didn’t comment on that. Instead she asked him again. “So, did you do it?”

Adam looked her in her blue eyes for the longest time. Then he shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t have….” His voice was choking on the pain in his heart.

Behati looked deep into his hazel eyes, as if trying to decide whether to believe him or not. “You have the same look in your eyes.” He figured that she meant her husband. “I dream about him sometimes, telling me that he didn’t do it. I still remember the anger in his eyes, the pain. You have that in your eyes.”

Adam bowed his head again. “So, you believe me?”

“Yeah, I think so,” she said, then chuckled a little. “I bet you think I’m too naïve.”

“Nah, just sweet,” he corrected. “It’s very rare to find that anymore.”

“Maybe you are just looking it the wrong places?”

Adam chuckled. “Yeah, I guess.” He looked around. “Too bad I don’t have more options anymore.”

“Don’t lose hope,” Behati said, holding his hand. She was warm and gentle. “I can try to get your case reopened.”

Adam shook his head. “My friends are already trying,” he said. “So please don’t worry about it.”

“You have good friends,” she said. “But I will still try. I know some good lawyers.”

“Thank you.”

The time allowed for the group ended soon after and Behati had to leave. It was really refreshing talking to her. He didn’t want her to leave.

 

**~~***~~ **

A few days passed and Adam was still mad at both Blake and Luke so much that he wouldn’t even look in their faces. Blake didn’t talk to him all this time, making it a total of six days without any attempt to apologize or at least show some remorse.

One day, after work and a long shower, Adam decided to just go back to his cell and spend the rest of the day in his bed. The guards were used to him by then. They rarely asked him where he was going. When he got to their cell, he found that Blake was there, standing in the middle of the room, shirtless with a towel on his head. Adam figured that Blake was at the showers, especially since the scent of shampoo and soap was everywhere.

It was the first time Adam saw him without a shirt, and couldn’t help but notice all the scars on the man’s body. There wasn’t an inch that didn’t have at least one scar on it, so Adam couldn’t focus on just one.

Blake had a nice body. He was a figure of strength that showed on every strand of muscle on his body. His chest was covered in light brown hair, which got softer as it went down his hard torso and all the way under his pants. His six-pack was taut and didn’t seem like it came without years of working out and taking good care of his body. His pectorals were thick, twitching gently on their own accords. A part of Adam, the part that was getting gayer by the second, wanted to touch him, feel his big biceps under his hands and run his fingers down the chiseled lines on his hips.

It was official. He was losing his mind.

It didn’t take long before Blake noticed him, standing like an idiot at the door, staring. “What are you doing here?” he asked as he threw the towel away on Luke’s bed. There was a smirk in his voice.

Adam gulped and decided that it was enough staring. He cleared his throat and started walking to his bed. “I… I just wanted to get some rest.”

Blake grabbed his wrist and pulled the shorter man to him. Adam almost tripped over Blake’s shoes on the floor, but still landed in Blake’s arms like Blake had intended. Adam’s eyes went wide as he felt Blake’s rock hard body against him.

“What are you doing?” Adam said. He put a hand on Blake’s bare chest to push him away. For a moment, he got so distracted by the feeling of Blake’s chest hair under his fingertips that he forgot to shove the taller man away. Blake’s arms locked around him, keeping him close. “Let go of me!” Adam looked at Blake.

“No,” Blake said, looking back at him. Then his hand reached over, held up Adam’s chin, and took a look at the two purple spots on Adam’s face.

Adam knew he should have put more effort into fighting Blake, but the moment he felt Blake’s bare chest under his fingertips, his resistance melted away. The dirty blond hair on Blake’s chest felt weird, but for some reason Adam let his hands slide farther down to feel more. Blake’s chest was flat, except for his chest muscles. They were hard and big. There was a little circular scar on Blake’s chest, so close to the heart. It looked like a gunshot. There was another bullet scar on Blake’s shoulder, which was the one Jason had told Adam about. There were different scars everywhere, his shoulders, his arms, and his stomach. Most of them looked like scars from a knife. There were also a weird looking tattoo on Blake’s left forearm. Adam couldn’t guess what it was.

Adam was staring again. This time Blake’s hand on his face shook him out of it. Blake was touching his bruises with the back of his fingers, so gently. “I keep forgetting how strong Luke is,” Blake said, leaning in to press a kiss on Adam’s face. “Stop pissing him off. I don’t like bruised faces.”

“It’s not my fault,” Adam insisted, leaning away from Blake a little. “He’s the one who has a problem with me!”

Blake sighed, and his lips moved closer to Adam’s ear. His free hand slid down Adam’s waist, forcing his body closer. “Then stop getting in his way.”

“He doesn’t scare me,” Adam admitted, feeling Blake’s lips on his neck. His heart fluttered.

“But I scare you, right?” Blake whispered, stopping at Adam’s shoulder.

Adam didn’t answer. Blake’s hand was big and gentle. The way it roamed over his back all the way up to his neck had Adam’s heart beating a thousand times per second. “I don’t enjoy fucking ugly people,” Blake said

“That’s a mean thing to say!”

“There’s a compliment there if you look,” Blake whispered, kissing Adam’s ear.

Adam smiled despite himself, resting his forehead on Blake’s chest. He sucked in a deep breath as Blake kissed his neck and shoulder. He was breathless already, clueless on why his body was reacting like this.

When Blake’s hand slipped under his clothes, Adam gasped, a little startled. Blake put a kiss on the corner of his mouth that relaxed him a little. Then, they kissed on the lips, nice and gentle.

Adam moaned. Every bit of anger towards Blake was replaced by desire. Blake kissed him slowly, drawing soft groans out of Adam’s mouth. Adam was kissing back, holding on to Blake’s shoulder. A few minutes in, and they were walking towards Blake’s bed. Blake sat down on the edge and Adam sat down in his lap, one knee on each side.

Blake’s hands slid down to Adam’s ass and grabbed it tight. Adam didn’t like it too much, so he reached back and tried to get Blake’s hand off of him. But Blake didn’t get the gesture. “No. I don’t like that,” Adam said, breaking the kiss, leaving a trail of their spit on Blake’s lips.

“That’s too bad,” Blake said before he slipped his hand under Adam’s pants, grabbing the flesh in his hand directly.

Adam tried to get away, but Blake’s grip was strong and he couldn’t move. “Blake, I can’t! I’m okay with blow- Shit!” Adam’s train of thought broke when Blake’s finger touched his asshole. “No no no, you can’t!”

“Look, my head hurts, so you don’t want to anger me now,” Blake said, firmly. “This was a part of the deal, in case you forgot.” He pulled his hands out of Adam’s pants and used one to search under his pillow. When he found what he wanted, he pulled out, making Adam’s heart sink in his chest.

It was lube.

He opened the cap, squirted some on his finger, using his injured arm to do so, and then threw the bottle away. Adam had a pretty good chance to get up and leave, but he was frozen in his place, both shocked and terrified to do anything that made Blake angrier. Blake’s hands went back into Adam’s pants. His wet finger touched Adam’s asshole again, making Adam flinch. He smeared the lube around, but didn’t quite do anything else.

“Can’t we at least wait?” Adam pleaded one more time, hoping Blake would listen. Last time he had a finger in his ass was at the laundry room and it was not a good experience. The guy’s nails scratched him to bleeding.

Blake did not listen and his finger slipped in easily, thanks to the lube. Adam’s ass clenched around it, trying to push it out, but a kiss on his neck distracted him. Again, his hand reached over and tried to push Blake’s away, but this time Blake grabbed Adam’s arm behind his back. He moved his finger slowly, in and out, drawing low moans out of Adam’s mouth. It felt tight. Adam didn’t like the burning around his stretched muscles, the tension rising up his ass and the pressure down his back.

Blake kept moving his finger in and out, getting deeper and deeper with each thrust. Adam tried to accept that it was actually going to happen – that was the deal anyway – and focused on his breathing, especially that it didn’t hurt like the first time. Then Adam remembered that Blake had trimmed his nails the other day. He wondered if Blake trimmed his nails because he didn’t want hurt him?

“It hurts, pull it out!” Adam hissed at him, fingers curling in Blake’s clothes.

“Just wait.”

“For what, to die?” Adam clenched his ass harder, preventing Blake’s finger from moving.

“I need to find your prostate,” Blake said. Adam could feel his finger prodding around.

“Why the hell...? Oh!”

Blake smirked. “There you go.”

Adam’s jaw was hanging open, eyes wide and fingers grabbing tight on Blake’s clothes. Waves of thrills washed over his body and filled his cock with blood, making it steel hard in just a few seconds.

“What the fuck did you do to m- Shit… Shit!” Adam whined. His body relaxed as he pressed down on Blake’s finger.

“Just calm down,” Blake said, planting a kiss on the corner of Adam’s mouth. “It should feel better soon.”

Adam didn’t know how this could feel any better. He was already losing his mind. They kissed on the lips again, and it took his mind off the finger stuck up his ass. It felt surreally good, spinning Adam’s head.

Blake’s finger was moving easily by then. The pain was partially gone, but the burn was still there. After few minutes into this, and Blake removed his finger, but kept circling Adam’s asshole with intense force. Blake let go of Adam’s arm finally and undid Adam’s pants to let his cock out. His finger was replaced by two, making Adam’s eyes go wide and his mouth hang open. At the same time, Blake grabbed his cock and started stroking.

“Shit...” Adam swore, out of breath. Blake was right. It did get better, now that Blake was stroking his dick alongside. Adam’s breathing was shallow, his heart pounding in his heart.

It was almost too much, Adam thought. The pressure in his ass, the pain around his rectum and the fever inside his cock. Blake moved his fingers, which was easy with the amount of lube inside. Adam leaned over and kissed Blake. Blake gave out a sound out of surprise, but kissed back a second later. His fingers were fucking Adam harder now, brushing against that one spot that brought Adam to the verge of tears.

His his stomach felt warm as waves of wet pleasure washed through him. Blake’s hand tightened around Adam’s cock and started pumping it faster, making Adam lose his mind. He couldn’t hold his head up and rested it on Blake’s shoulder. Blake didn’t give him any break, and immediately added a third finger. Adam couldn’t close his mouth anymore, letting out silent screams. Blake finger-fucked him non-stop.

Adam was going blank. It felt like nothing he’d experienced before. The mixture between pain and pleasure erased the definition of shame from his dictionary, and he started pushing back against Blake’s fingers, getting more of them.

It didn’t take long before his cock came with the best orgasm Adam had ever experienced. Blake’s finger did not stop, not until Adam was milked dry and writhing on them as his sensitive prostate got abused. He was shaking when Blake pulled out his fingers, and they kissed.

After their lips parted, Adam put his forehead on Blake’s shoulder, inhaling his cologne as he caught his breath. That man always smelled like heaven.

“Tired?” Blake asked.

Adam nodded. “What have you done to me, man?” was all Adam could muster to say.

Blake only kissed the side of his neck and locked him in his arms.


	9. Chapter 9

Blake didn’t give Adam any break. He would ask for him whenever he had some free time, or when he was bored of his books. It wasn’t the same things every time. Sometimes, he asked Adam to blow him and forced it down Adam’s mouth. Other times, he would focus on Adam entirely. Adam was not surprised that Blake’s previous partners enjoyed his company anymore. The guy was good. He knew how to burn it nice and slow. Adam liked the feel of his solid body against his, his smell and the taste of Blake’s mouth. Adam was losing his sanity between him trying to stay loyal to his love for women, and his new obsession with anal play.

The way Blake did it was so articulate, measured to achieve one thing – finger-fucking Adam to addiction. The way Adam’s body reacted to this stimulation did not make any sense. He couldn’t say that he was fully straight anymore, so he settled for a straight man who liked having his asshole stretched over three fingers. He was aware of the natural progress that came after this, and a part of him was actually looking forward to it.

Yes, it scared him still, but the gayer part of Adam wanted it. He wanted to know how it was going to feel, having a cock inside him, getting to places Blake’s fingers couldn’t reach. So, he decided to ask Jesse about that one night in college again.

“Urm… Why are you asking about that?” Jesse was taken aback by Adam’s question, especially now that Adam was too nervous to transition smoothly.

Adam gulped and shrugged. “I don’t know… Curious?”

Jesse’ smile faded. “Oh my god,” he said hiding his face with his free hand. “Mickey told you, didn’t he?” he suggested, looking like he wanted to disappear. “I was going to tell you myself, but...”

Adam frowned. “What?”

“You know…” Jesse started, looking up at Adam. “It’s just… you changed after high school. You became one of those dumb frat boys, and it was hard for me to predict how you were going to react about it.”

Adam didn’t know what the hell Jesse was talking about.

Jesse continued. “I thought you were against, you know… it.”

“Jesse, what are you talking about?” Adam asked finally, getting closer to the thick glass. “You’re… gay?”

“Ye – yeah.”

Adam’s jaw dropped.

“Isn’t that why you’re asking about it? Mickey told you about Kevin, right?”

“You mean, you… Wait, who’s Kevin?”

Jesse rubbed his face with his free hand again. “Shit,” he swore, sighing in frustration. “A guy I met four years ago, at the gym. We’re kind of… together.”

“Kind of?” Adam frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Jesse uttered out a curse. “We’re living together, Adam.”

“Like roommates?” Adam’s straight brain was still trying to figure it out.

Jesse rolled his eyes. “No, Adam we’re engaged!”

Adam stayed quiet for a long minute. He was surprised, if not shocked, but he was mostly feeling guilty. How much of a jackass he’d been that his friend had to lie to him?

“Why didn’t you just…?”

“I wanted to tell you, Adam,” Jesse said, looking a little sorry. “I really did! But it was really hard trying to keep up with you in college, and after college too. I’m so sorry.”

Adam shook his head. “Don’t apologize. I should be the one apologizing! I fucked everything up, man. I… shit, Jesse, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

“It’s okay, you are now,” Jesse smiled. “Don’t think about it much. I can’t wait till you get out of here to meet him. You’re gonna like him! He’s nice.”

“He’s better be nice to you,” Adam said, smiling back, “or I’m gonna fucking kick his ass!”

Jesse laughed. “I’ll make sure to let him know you said that.”

Adam licked his lips before moving to a more sensitive subject. “How did your parents react to… you know, the news?”

“My mother struggled with it for a while. She’s a hardcore Catholic, you know her,” Jesse said. “My father was okay with it. He just lectured me for a few weeks about unprotected sex and sexually transmitted diseases.”

Adam cringed a little, but laughed still. “Yikes! That’s a cool dad, I think.”

“Yeah, he is,” Jesse agreed, smiling big. “My mother is okay with it now as long as we don’t talk about it.” He added, “If Mickey hasn’t told you about Kevin, why were you even asking?”

Adam fidgeted in his chair. “I was curious.”

Jesse sighed. “Dude, I know you think you’re a good liar, but you’re really not.”

Adam laughed and looked at Jesse for a while. He thought that it was only fair to tell him. “I’ll tell you, but no judgments, no freaking out, no laughing, no nothing!”

Jesse promised.

Adam hesitated for a second, looking around. “Well… There’s this guy.” Adam decided to leave the whole deal thing unmentioned. “We’re kind of, you know.”

Jesse’ eyes went wide. “You mean in prison?!”

Adam nodded. He was not too proud of it. “We didn’t go all the way, but it’s going to happen, so… I just wanted to know.”

“Dude, you’re fucking a guy in prison?”

Adam rolled his eyes. “I said no judgment!”

Jesse pursed his lips, and sighed again. “What do you want to know?”

Adam licked his lips. “Will it hurt?”

Jesse shrugged. “I only bottomed for a couple of times, so…”

“Bottomed, what is that?”

Jesse chuckled. “You poor little thing! You really don’t know anything?” He was smug. Adam frowned at him, reminding him of his promise. “Fine. A bottom is the guy who receives.”

An “Oh” escaped Adam’s lips when he realized that he was probably going to be the bottom.

Jesse continued. “It shouldn’t hurt, as long as you’re prepared.” He then leaned over the glass. “How hot is he, exactly?”

“Shut up!” Adam shook his head.

“C’mon, that man got you to sleep with him in the fucking prison, I mean, c’mon! How big is he?”

“He’s six-foot-five. What does that have to do with anything?”

Jesse giggled. “I meant his business down there, stupid!”

Adam’s face got a little warm. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. “I don’t know! Why the hell would I know?”

Jesse shook his head at Adam’s nervousness, still laughing. “You don’t have to be nervous, dude! It’s fine.”

Adam didn’t respond, and looked down.

“Hey,” Jesse said knocking on the glass. “Thanks for trusting me.”

Adam smiled. “Thanks for being here.”

“Any time.”

 

**~~****~~ **

 

The cell was only lit by the lamp next to Blake’s bed, filling a small area around the bed with a soft orange light. It was so quiet, except for Jason’s loud snoring, Adam’s gasps and the slick sounds the lube was making. It was just another night they spent together. Adam was in Blake’s laps with wet fingers deep inside him, keeping his asshole wide open.

Blake’s lips were soft on Adam’s neck, and his free hand was holding Adam’s body at the waist. Adam’s head was on Blake’s shoulder. His teeth were biting into it to stop himself from screaming every time Blake’s fingers touched his prostate. He was aware of Jason’s and Luke’s snoring, and it kept him on edge the whole time.

“Can you stop biting?” Blake said in Adam’s ear, while adding a third finger. Adam didn’t comply and had to bite again to stop a loud groan. Blake hissed and used the free hand to grab Adam’s hair and force him to look Blake in the eyes. “I said no biting!”

“It’s your fault!” Adam said, glaring at Blake. His voice was not full, more like a loud whisper. “You know I hate doing it with them around.”

They kissed, and Adam found a new distraction in Blake’s wet tongue moving in his mouth. His hips were writhing on Blake’s fingers, with his dick still in his pants, hard and leaking.

“Take of your clothes,” Blake said, pulling his fingers out with a loud, wet pop.

Adam looked at him, confused. He was never ordered to do that before.

“Now!”

Adam gulped and got off of the bed. He watched the beds behind him as he took off his clothes piece by piece, worried someone might have woken up. When all of his clothes were gone, he stood there for a minute, embarrassed and self-conscious. Blake’s eyes watched him for a long moment, amused.

Adam was never insecure with his body, but the way Blake was looking at him made his nerves shake and he couldn’t stand still anymore. “What?” He asked, avoiding the smirk on Blake’s lips.

Finally, Blake held Adam’s hand and pulled him back to the bed. Adam straddled his laps like he always did, and they kissed. Blake’s hands on his waist were calming and gentle. Blake grabbed the hem of his own tank top and pulled it over his head, making Adam’s heart flutter.

He could see his teeth marks on Blake’s shoulder, bright pink. Blake started to undo his pants, but Adam decided he wanted to take over that, and pulled Blake’s boxers just enough to get Blake’s cock out. He grabbed it in his hand and pushed the foreskin back. It turned him on, every time he saw it slide backward to reveal the big head.

Blake pulled Adam closer. His dick slipped out of the shorter guy’s hand. Then, he pushed Adam down, making his ass land in his crotch. Adam felt Blake’s cock between his butt cheeks, hard and hot. Adam’s eyes went wide as he realized what was going on. His heart started racing. A part of him had been looking forward to this for a while, but the other part wanted to run away. He got up on his knees, but Blake’s hands on his waist brought him back down.

Blake sighed. “Do you really want to piss me off right now?”

Adam did not, especially now that he was butt naked on top of Blake. Jason and Luke were still there. “I don’t want this,” Adam said, halfheartedly. “You’re forcing me!”

Blake’s fingers returned to Adam’s asshole and two fingers were pushed in. Adam sighed out in contentment. Blake moved his fingers a few times, making Adam’s body melt once more.

“Am I really forcing you?” He added another finger. Adam pushed against the fingers, greedily. “Look how loose you are! Your ass wants it!” He removed his fingers. Adam moaned. “You like it.”

“That’s not true!”

Blake was not too amused with Adam’s complaining. “It’s going to happen now, so unless you want everyone to wake up and see your pretty ass getting fucked? I suggest you keep quiet!”

That was cruel, Adam thought.

Blake lined his cock with Adam’s asshole and stated rubbing around the stretched hole. Adam’s heart was racing. His head was spinning and his body tensed beyond his imagination. Blake didn’t do much after that. His hand disappeared under the pillow and pulled out a condom. He took a minute to open it and apply it on his cock.

Blake brought his now-covered dick back to Adam’s asshole again and started rubbing there. Adam was scared, but for some reason kept pushing against Blake’s cock, feeling it circle around the sensitive skin. Blake was much bigger than three fingers, for sure, and it scared Adam. The image of his flesh tearing apart, and his ass bleeding sending him straight to the grave, made his body shake. That was not how he wanted to die.

The head went in first, doing what it was designed to do, stretching Adam out. An “Oh!” escaped Adam’s lips, before he sealed them tight.

It hurt.

Blake’s cock stayed there for a while, not really moving in or out. Blake’s lips pressed a kiss on Adam’s shoulder. Then he grabbed his ass cheeks and parted them. His cock slipped in deeper until it was halfway gone inside Adam’s ass. Adam whined in his throat before he started his small little habit of biting on Blake’s shoulder. This time, Blake just hissed in pain, but did not make any attempt to stop Adam.

His cock started moving slowly, drawing a breathy grunt from Adam. It was only halfway in, but already reached an area that never felt Blake’s fingers before. It felt weird, a little painful, and tight.

Blake started moving a little faster, and with every thrust, Adam felt as if his soul was being pulled out of his lungs. Yet, his body was hot, tingly and incredibly weak at that point. Blake pushed the rest of his dick as deep as Adam’s ass would take, making Adam’s eyes go wide and his teeth digging a new set of marks on Blake’s shoulder.

“Stop biting!” Blake ordered, one arm going around Adam’s waist for more control.

“Stop… pushing it in!” Adam said, out of breath.

Blake’s dick wasn’t entirely in. There was something like a barrier inside of Adam that refused to let it go in deeper. Blake started moving shortly after, slow. Adam’s eyes burned with tears. The pain was the only thing he could feel, and the worst thing was that he had no say in this. He had to endure it. It felt like there was a tree trunk stuck up his ass, splitting him in half. At first, he felt like he was taking a huge dump. It was weird, to say the least. The feeling soon subsided and Adam felt his ass clench and relax every time Blake’s cock punched his guts.

Time passed slowly, and Adam’s ass was getting used to the hard member inside it. Every now and then, Blake’s cock would brush against a spot way beyond Adam’s prostate that took the sharpness of the pain and blended it with a delicious feeling. It got Adam’s body melting, and became the one thing he anticipated with every thrust. Blake caught up on it. He grabbed Adam’s waist in an angle to the right and started thrusting up, hitting that spot every single time.

Adam was starting to enjoy it more. He got his head off Blake’s shoulder and looked at the other guys. His mouth was hanging open, drooling and letting out low groans. His hips took control lifting his body up and down, riding Blake’s cock like a shameless whore. Blake kissed him on the lips once before he started kissing and licking around his ear.

“Are you sure you’re straight?”

Adam’s stomach twisted as he hid his face back into Blake’s neck, inhaling his cologne. He smelled like pine, like a walk through a forest after it rained for a while. “Shut the hell up,” Adam said, clenching his ass, making the other man sigh in content.

“That’s it, baby,” Blake whispered. His voice was so deep and scratchy it sent shivers down Adam’s body. That silly country accent was so smooth Adam could swear it was like jazz. “Just like that!”

Blake grabbed Adam’s cock and started stroking it tightly. Adam gasped, fingers digging into Blake’s shoulders, leaving marks. Blake’s cock twitched inside him, brushing against his prostate.

Adam squealed, his head’s going blank. “I can’t!” he said. Everything was fading away around him, everything but the pleasure washing over his spent body. “I think I’m gonna pass out… Fuck!”

Blake grunted in his ear, his arm getting tighter around Adam’s waist, keeping him still as he took control again. It was fast, restless, and a little messy. He figured that Blake was about to cum, and something told him to clench his ass around Blake’s cock. So he did, getting Blake to orgasm first. He felt the cum through the condom, so hot.

Adam whined.

Blake then focused on Adam, jerking his cock off so hard. His half hard cock was still inside Adam, and Adam used it to press against his prostate again and again.

They kissed once before Adam’s body collapsed down on Blake’s. He was way too far gone to care about what happened next. He could see the world closing down on him, everything getting dark, and his head going blank. Suddenly everything went pitch black and his body’s weight no longer existed.

 

~~******** ~~

 

“It’s okay,” Adam heard behind his foggy thoughts. The voice was soothing, gentle. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

  
Adam relaxed, slowly getting back to reality. He was on top of Blake, naked. One of Blake’s arms was draped around his body, while the right hand was threading through his hair gently. He remembered what happened, but did not have the energy to get up and be angry. So, he just lay there, head on Blake’s chest, and closed his eyes.

It didn’t take him long to fall asleep.

 

~~******* ~~

 

“Are you sure he’s not dead?”

There was chattering behind the darkness. Adam knew the voices, but took a while to attach faces to them. There was something cold and wet on his forehead, a wet towel, maybe. Adam’s skin felt numb under it, so he turned his face away from it.

“What a sissy,” a voice said. Immediately, Adam knew that it was Luke. “So, what? He just passed out while you fucked him? You didn’t beat him down into it?”

“Well, he has no bruises,” Jason pointed out. “I’m guessing he just couldn’t handle the pressure.”

“He’s just sleeping,” Blake said. “Leave him to rest.”

Luke was saying something under his breath that Adam could not hear. Then he yelled, suddenly. “Those look like you have been bitten by a starving cat! He needs to stop that!”

Why were they talking about him as if he wasn’t with them in the same room? Adam wondered. He opened his eyes and looked around, finding the bright morning light annoying. Luke was sitting on Blake’s bed, and both Jason and Blake on the opposite bed. Jason was pressing some wet cotton on Blake’s shoulder, where Adam had bitten him. It didn’t take long after that to remember what happened.

His head hurt, so he had to close his eyes again. It was scary, what he’d felt the other night. He genuinely thought he was going to die. His body was still exhausted, his asshole is still sore, and his entire body felt like it was drained of energy.

“What the hell did you do me?” Adam asked. His voice was a little hoarse. He wanted to get up, but he knew he was naked under the covers.

“Who?” Luke asked. “Me? I did nothing. You were passed out like a dead fish when I woke up.”

“Your friend, the bigfoot!” Adam corrected, pointing with a heavy arm at Blake. “That… that thing, sitting there!”

Jason started giggling but said nothing. Blake didn’t seem too amused, but Jason did not care.

“Excuse me?” Blake asked, not joking.

Adam frowned at him. “I’m never letting you touch me again! Fuck all this! I’m out of this cell, you manipulative dimpled bigfoot!”

Blake sighed, looking like he was trying not to snap. “I have no problem with that.” He turned and tilted his head a little, so Jason would be able to clean out the blood.

“You almost killed me!” Adam said, forcing himself to sit down, pulling the covers up to hide his body. He winced when he sat on his ass.

Luke hissed. “If he really wanted to kill you, he wouldn’t have missed and your body would have been rotting six feet underground by now.” Luke threw the towel at him. “Get up, and from now on, you can forget about sitting with us!”

He looked pleased in a way.

 

~~******** ~~

  
It didn’t take long for the morning bell to take off, indicating breakfast time. Adam waited until the three men left to get up and change into his clothes.

The chow hall was already busy when Adam arrived. He took a tray and looked for an empty table. There was a table close to Blake’s that everyone always avoided. Since most tables were full, Adam decided to take a chair at that table.

A few men were looking at Adam’s direction, confused by what it meant for him to sit away from Blake. He gave them no attention and focused on his breakfast. Since the inspector had arrived, the chef had been changed and the food quality got better. It was not great, but it was not as bad as before, either.

Lost in his own scattered thoughts, Adam noticed a man sitting next to him. It startled him a little. The guy was a ginger, short and had the most gorgeous green eyes. He was extremely fair, and a little red at the cheeks and ears. He looked like a new guy, judging by the silly smile and the clean shave.

“Hi,” the guy said, cheerfully. “I’m Ed,” he announced, offering a hand for Adam.

Adam shook his hand, smiling back at him. “I’m Adam. You’re new?”

“Yes, sir, I am,” Ed said. His cheerfulness confused Adam, maybe because he was not used to it around there.

“What you in for?”

“I robbed a house with my cousins. They killed the old lady and ran away without me,” Ed said. It was hard to think he was lying with those puppy eyes on his face. “I will be here for life.”

Adam looked at him, trying to figure out how old he was. He looked young. “How old are you?”

“Nineteen, sir.”

“Stop calling me sir,” Adam requested.

“Yes, sir,” Ed said, realizing his mistake immediately. “I’m sorry, sir. You asked me to…”

“It’s okay,” Adam said, holding his hand up a little to make him stop talking.

Adam got worried for him. The guy was too young to be around these animals. He was a good looking guy, too. They were going to eat him alive. The poor thing.

“What are you in for, sir?” Ed asked, before realizing his mistake. “I mean, Adam.”

Adam chuckled. “A bad lawyer,” Adam said, not wanting to spook the guy. Then, he looked at his food and started eating slowly. “When were you admitted?”

“Last night.” The guy was too happy for a place like this. It was going to be too bad to see this smile go away. A moment of silent passed as they ate their breakfast before Ed talked again, mouth full. “Can I ask you a question?”

Adam nodded.

“Why is everyone avoiding this table? Did someone die here or something?”

Adam chuckled. “No No,” Adam said, pointing at the table behind them with his thumb. “I guess they’re just scared of Blake, the tall guy behind us. Don’t try to piss him off.”

“Is he, like, a bad guy?”

Adam pursed his lips. “He’s an asshole, just stay away from him.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

After breakfast, everyone got up and headed to the doors for work. Ed was a little lost, so he just followed Adam. Adam asked him about his assignment, and was thrilled that he was at the laundry room with Adam. Ed was easy to talk to, sweet and so happy all the time. He put Adam in a better mood. He and Adam had a few things in common. They both liked Stevie Wonder, prince and all of the classics. They preferred the old movies to the new ones and they both took great interest in cars.

Adam was surprised when he was able hold up a decent conversation with Ed about some autos. Yes, the guy was too young to know all about the classics, but his knowledge of the modern engines and models was pretty impressive. They talked a little about Ed’s family too, and where he grew up in Georgia and his moving around the state with his cousins after his parents died.

As they worked, minding their own business, some men approached Adam from the side. When Adam looked up, he saw Fred with two men. Instinctively, he wanted to keep Ed out of this, so he stood in front of him. He didn’t want that sweet guy to see what he’d seen from them. He didn’t want him to lose this smile. Ed was lost for a second, but understood the gesture.

“What do you want?” Adam asked, keeping his voice as steady as possible.

“Nothing. We just heard that your sugar daddy dumped you. We’re just worrying about you,” Fred said, leaning against the wall, looking smug.

“Wanna test that theory out? C’mon, I would love to have Blake smash your skull into little pieces.”

Adam couldn’t believe that he was actually using Blake’s name. Then again, a part of him knew that he was not serious about leaving Blake’s group. He was just a little shaken after losing his ass’s virginity.

Fred’s smile faded away. “I will ask around. You know nothing stays hidden forever around here. And when I’m sure, I promise, I’m gonna pay you back for this.” He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a huge burn scar.

“Yeah, and I’ll boil you to well-done next time,” Adam said, folding his arms at the level of his chest.

“I would love to see you try, baby. I’ll finish you for breakfast, and after I’m done, I’m gonna eat up that green-eyed beauty behind you.”

After Fred left, Adam turned around, and looked away.

“Did you really give him that scar?” Ed asked.

“I pushed him into some hot water.”

Ed looked surprised, in a good way. “Wow! That’s badass.”

Adam sighed. If only Ed knew how it happened that forced him to do such an act. After work was done, they went to the backyard, and sat together at a table. Ed was like a little kid, following his father around. Adam didn’t mind. The guy was nice, easy to talk to.

~~******* ~~

  
When Adam went back to the cell, the three inmates were already there. Blake on the bed, his back was against the headboard, reading. Luke was humming some kind of music as he dealt some cards on the bed and Jason was sleeping. Adam walked in, undoing the buttons of his shit. He kept his eyes on Blake as he walked directly to the bigger man’s bed.

That idiot! He was actually going to make Adam apologize.

After he was only in his tank top, he took the book from Blake’s hand and climbed onto the bed. Blake looked at him with one eyebrow cocked up.

Adam straddled Blake’s legs, landing his ass directly on Blake’s dick. His hand settled on Blake’s shoulders.

“I forgive you,” Adam said, looking at Blake dead in the eyes. “I should be mad, you know. You gave me, like, brain damage yesterday, but I’m gonna let it slide.”

Blake didn’t say anything.

“I said things I didn’t mean,” Adam further explained when Blake’s answer was his silence. “But if you think about it, it was really your fault. So, since we both owe each other apologies, I say we forget about it and we start over.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Luke said, rolling his eyes. “That’s the best you’ve got?”

“Luke, I wanna hear what he has to say.” Blake gave Luke one glance before he looked back at Adam. Adam gave Luke the middle finger, before he looked at Blake.

“Thank y –”

“Please continue.” Blake interrupted, not sounding too genuine.

Adam licked his lips. “Can I sit with you at the table again?”

“You chose to leave.”

“And I came back.”

“No one gave you permission to come back,” he said, a little stern. “You’re disrespectful, annoying, disobedient and a smartass. I hate all that. So tell me now, why should I bother with you?”

Adam huffed at him. “You know what? I didn’t even have to apologize, so…”

“You didn’t apologize.”

“Because I did nothing wrong!” Adam came back in defense. “You know what, I don’t care. If you don’t want to forget about it, then, just… I don’t care.” He attempted to get up, but, Blake grabbed his arms and pulled him closer to him.

 

“Next time, don’t interrupt my reading.” Blake draped an arm around Adam as he picked up his book again.

Adam smiled, devilishly. “It was kind of urge-”

“Never,” Blake repeated. Adam rolled his eyes and nodded, not wanting to make a scene. “Can I get up now?”

“You’re sleeping with me tonight.”

“I don’t think it’s a –” He stopped when Blake’s hand tightened around him. Adam sighed, and knew there was no point arguing. He adjusted his body into a more comfortable position. His head was on Blake’s chest, an arm spread across his chest and a leg curled up with Blake’s closest one. It was weird as hell, but very comfortable.

They stayed quiet for a while, as Blake continued his reading. Adam remembered a question he wanted to ask. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Not now.”

Adam ignored that, and continued. “It’s important.”

Blake sighed. “What?” He put the book, open, on his chest and looked at Adam.

Adam got up on his elbow and looked at Blake. “There’s this guy. I don’t know if Luke told you about him or n-”

“Ed,” Blake interrupted. “What about him?”

“He’s a sweet kid. I just don’t want anything to happen to him. Can you do anything about it?’

“Do I get to fuck him too?”

“What? No!” Adam said, huffing. “That’s what I’m trying to keep away from him. Look, he’s a kid! Just ask everyone to stay away from him.”

“How do you expect me to do that?”

“I really don’t know, Blake. Can we, like, add a new chair to our table? Or maybe I can just sit with him?”

“You talk too much.”

Adam was getting frustrated. “Just say yes or no! Can I sit with him, but still be with you?”

Blake sighed. “Yes. Can you shut up, now?” he ordered.

Adam was so happy to hear that. “Thank you! Oh, sorry. I’m gonna shut up now. But thank you.”

Blake did not answer. He just held his book up again and continued reading.


	10. Chapter 10

A new morning came along, and Adam woke up in Blake’s bed. He was on his side, Blake behind him with one arm under Adam’s neck and the other around his waist. Adam rolled onto his other side and looked at him, still half asleep. His movement woke Blake up. His eyes went wide open in shock, and his free hand headed to the gun under the pillow.

“You need to chill. It’s just me,” Adam said, holding Blake’s hand.

Blake didn’t answer and just stared at Adam for a long moment. His body slowly relaxed as he pulled his hand away from the gun and Adam’s grip. He sat up and started moving his shoulder to get some blood to his arms. It was already time for breakfast, so Adam got up too, looking for his clothes. He’d taken them off at some point during the night. It was crazy hot.

Jason was already up, standing by the bed and smiling at him. “Morning.”

Adam was about to greet him back, but Blake threw a shirt at him and it landed on his face.

“Get dressed,” Blake said, getting out of the bed. He picked up his tank top, put it on and grabbed his shirt in his hand as he went.

Adam put the shirt on, but did not bother to button it down completely. After the count, every one headed downstairs to the chow hall.

At the chow hall, Adam tried to spot Ed among the crowd. He was worried about that kid, hoping nothing had happened to him while Adam was away. His eyes kept wandering around looking for the kid, until they found him standing at a table with three other guys around him. They were Fred’s friends. Adam split up from his group and walked to him. When Ed saw him, his face lit up.

“Are you okay?” Adam asked, looking at the other men with suspicion. “They’re bothering you?”

“Why do you care?” one of the guys said, putting an elbow on Ed’s shoulder, fueling Adam with rage. “We’re not bothering you, right?” the man looked at Ed.

Ed gulped, and shook his head.

Adam knew better. “Ed, let’s go,” Adam said, pointing to a table at the back.

Ed nodded, but the man’s hand kept him in place.

“Let him go, asshole!” Adam’s voice was loud, and it grabbed some attention.

“Ed stays here,” the guy said. “He’s mine now.” He leaned over and blew in Ed’s ear.

Ed flinched and dropped his tray. One of the three men kept asking the guy to stop, telling him he was going to anger Blake. Still, the guy just kept laughing.

Adam decided to step in. He was sure that they would never do anything to him while Blake was watching. He grabbed Ed’s right wrist and pulled him. The guy pulled Ed back away from Adam, causing Ed to stumble back and dragging Adam forward. Adam fell on his stomach. It was a little embarrassing, but the thick piece of glass that pierced deep into his chest was too painful to make him care about anything else. He really should have closed his shirt!

Distracted by throbbing skin around the piece of glass, he didn’t notice the eyes on him until later. He looked around and saw people watching, and Luke and Jason were on the way to him.

“Shit,” Adam said as he pulled the glass out and saw the blood gushing out. There weren’t much blood, but it was enough to get Adam a little dizzy. Jason helped him get up.

“I believe he asked you to leave the kid alone, didn’t he?” Luke asked, meaning Ed. The guy didn’t, still convinced he was not doing anything wrong.

“Does your little girl know that you like playing with boys her age? Hmm, what’s her name again?” Luke continued looking at Jason for the last part of the question.

“Stella,” Jason said. The man looked relieved, smiling, indicating they got the name wrong. “Nope, it’s Anna. Anna, that’s her name.”

The man’s smile faded away and he sucked in a deep breath but didn’t let it out.

“Yeah,” Luke said, nodded. “Anything you do to that guy, we’ll do to your little girl. Does that sound fair enough for you?”

The man immediately let go of Ed’s arm and stepped away. Ed was frozen in his place, not sure if he should move. Luke gestured for him to get closer, and so he did.

“If you touch her, I swear to god…!” The man tried to say.

“What?” Luke asked, interrupting him. “You’ll kill us?”

The guy did not answer.

“I didn’t think so.” Luke put a hand on Ed’s back and guided him away from the scene. Adam and Jason followed.

“Thank you,” Adam said, as they walked back to the table, covering his wound with his hand.

Jason shook his head. “You’re so dead,” he said, making Adam stop mid-way.

“What? Why?” Adam asked, a little worried. “I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Jason put a hand on the top of Adam’s back and made him continue walking to the table. “Do you think we like walking around threatening people like that? We need connections around here, and you’ve just cost us one!”

After they arrived to the table, Luke pulled an empty chair to their table and asked Ed to sit down. Adam and Jason sat down too.

Ed, being the happy butterfly that he was, he started thanking them, telling them how cool they were and how scared he was. All Adam wanted to do was shut his mouth up, before Blake exploded in his face. But Ed kept going and going, flooding them with unnecessary information about his worries since he came to this place, and his good intentions.

“Shut the hell up,” Luke said, shutting the poor thing up.

Blake looked at Adam and sucked the longest and the deepest breath he could muster and let it out on Adam’s face. Adam froze in his place, biting on his lower lip. Blake grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, then his hand brushed over the cut on his chest. Adam winced.

“What were you trying to do?” Blake said, glaring down at Adam.

“That’s Ed, the guy I told you about,” Adam said, as if it was enough details. “They were giving him a hard time.”

“Like you’re doing to me right now?” Blake asked, sighing and shaking his head a little. Then he looked at Ed. “How old are you?”

“Nineteen, sir,” Ed said, with a big smile. “I am, well, I was studying at a community school.”

How could anyone turn their back to that face? Adam thought.

“Just answer the fucking question!” Luke yelled.

Ed nodded. “Sorry, sir.”

“What’re you in for?” Blake asked.

“Robbery, sir, and murder. My cousin killed a lady and they kind of pinned it on me,” he said in the most apologetic voice. “I’ll be here for life, sir.”

Adam could tell that Blake felt bad for the guy.

“You can sit here or close by. Your choice,” Blake said, scratching under his beard. “No one’s going to bother you again.”

Adam was so happy and almost wanted to kiss Blake right there and then. He didn’t care what happened to him next, or if Blake was going to be angry. It was worth it – saving a smile in that place.

“I’ll be honored to sit with you, sir,” Ed announced, grinning to Adam. “I must say, sir, you are nicer than I expected. When Adam told me that you’re a big asshole, I actually thought he was telling the truth, but I see now that he was joking.”

Adam’s eyes squeezed shut, as every muscle in his body cringed at Ed’s last comment. He wanted to hide under the table, or just disappear.

Luke turned to look at Adam. “Oh, he said that?” Luke looked like he wanted to choke Adam.

“I was joking!” Adam lied, giggling nervously. Then he looked at angry Blake. “I was joking! I swear! You believe me right?”

Blake looked at him, not impressed at all. “I’ll deal with you later.”

Adam gulped.

“And close your shirt for fuck’s sake!”

Adam nodded and started doing the buttons fast. There was still some blood, but he decided to wait until the showers to wash it off.

 

**~~****~~ **

 

The rest of the day went by pretty fast. Adam had found a new friend, who he could talk to about a lot of things. Adam spent all afternoon educating Ed about some classic cars, using the photos he’d been drawing for the past few weeks. Ed was actually a good listener, and was good taking in information. He taught Adam a little about motorcycles and some engines that he thought were worth the money. Sometimes, his knowledge surprised Adam, especially since Ed didn’t look particularly smart, but rather innocent and inexperienced.

At times during the day, Adam would get dizzy from the heat of the sun, and his vision would blur out. His wound pulsed and hurt. But he didn’t think much of it. He went for a walk with Ed, played a card game with Jason and Luke and watched some men play basketball. After leisure time was over, he took a shower, changed his sweat-soaked clothes and went to his cell.

After they went to their cell, Adam, felt too cold and hot at the same time. His brain could not explain the phenomenon and thought that he was catching a cold. He was exhausted, spent and couldn’t stand on his feet. So, he slipped under the covers of Blake’s bed and tried to sleep it away.

At some point, he could hear Luke, calling out his name, and a hand shaking his body. He remembered shivering so hard his teeth started grinding, and his bones started to ache. He couldn’t open his eyes, and just carried on sleeping.

The morning bell went off, forcing Adam’s heavy lids open. He saw Blake’s face, blurry, even up so close. He couldn’t move. The room was spinning around him, and white flashes confused his already tired brain. Blake woke up too. He stared at Adam for a while, before he reached over and put his hand over Adam’s cheek, caressing it softly. His fingertips were a little cold, and felt nice. Blake abruptly rose up on his elbow, looking alarmed. He put his hand over Adam’s forehead next, and then looked at Luke.

“Luke, get a nurse,” Blake said, before he caressed Adam’s sweaty face with the back of his fingers, as if for comfort. Adam’s eyes rolled back, and everything started getting darker and darker, until it was all pitch black.

He remembered waking up at some point, hearing the sirens of an ambulance. It reminded him of that day he found the dead girl in his house. He was scared. A male nurse was holding some kind of lights flashing in front of Adam’s eyes, telling him that he was going to be fine.

Adam then blacked out again.

  
~~********~~

Behind the darkness, Adam heard someone talking, a lady. She was saying something about missing her daughter’s graduation, and how proud she was. Another female voice joined the conversation, alarming Adam a little. Adam tried to move his left arm but something was holding it in place.

“He’s up,” one of the women announced, grabbing Adam’s right wrist with two fingers pressed against his veins. “Good evening.”

The other lady chuckled. “I have never seen a prisoner get so much attention around here. Is he, like, a celebrity or something?”

“No,” the other lady said. “But he’s with that guy I told you about.”

“Oh,” the other girl responded. “That means what you told me is true? Well, that kind of explains why Dr. Will keeps turning up to check on him.”

Adam didn’t know who are they talking about, and didn’t care. He opened his eyes, and looked around. It was dimly lit, so he didn’t have much trouble with the light.

“Hey,” the lady said, putting his hand down. “His pulse is stable.”

Adam examined his surroundings, and found himself in a foreign room. It was painted in the color yellow and had white curtain. The lady next to him was a middle age woman, a little short with brown hair. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming about going to prison, about getting attacked, about everything.

But his hand, handcuffed to the bed, crushed that fantasy.

“Do you know where you are?” a blond woman at the end of the bed asked. She was much younger than the brunette and had a cute accent.

Adam shook his head.

“You’re in the hospital. You passed out, and they had to bring you here.”

“I passed out?”

She nodded. “Your wound got infected. You had high fever and lost consciousness in your cell,” she explained, making his head sink back into the pillow.

The handcuff hurt as he tried to get his hand free, so he stopped trying. “How long? How long have I been here?”

“About five days,” the brunette said. “You’ll be transferred back tomorrow morning.”

Adam looked at the ceiling breathing, a little fast. He was both surprised and mortified at the same time. He couldn’t believe five days had passed that he didn’t have any memories for.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” the brunette said. “Shakira, where’s the package that arrived this morning?”

The blonde pointed at a table behind the curtain. The brunette reached over, and picked up a small box wrapped in black. “A very special friend is wishing you speed recovery.”

Adam was confused and tried to get up a little. “For me?” he asked, grabbing the box. There was a card on it. He opened it and started reading.

“ _If you’re reading this, you’re still alive. This is from Blake._

_– Luke._

_PS - Your friends visited. We told them that you were sick.”_

Adam smiled and opened the box, carefully. The wrapping paper felt so expensive, so silky and smooth, that Adam decided to fold it and keep it in his pocket. The box was in matte black and had a wide lid, which had a foreign logo on it. Adam pulled that lid up and put it next to him on the bed.

Chocolate.

Adam sucked in a gasp of surprise. He wasn’t really expecting something so delicate like chocolate! He looked at the little balls of in the box, and his smile got wider. He wondered if it was a dream as he touched the small delight with the tip of his fingers. The box had nine pieces of different kinds of chocolate. Some were regular standard chocolate, others had white chocolate stripes, some had a hazelnut coating and others had coconut. Adam chose the one that had hazelnuts and put it in his mouth.

The taste almost brought him to tears. It was sweet, creamy and so smooth. The hazelnuts were still crunchy not soft and chewy. It filled him with the warmest feeling. It had been so long since he’d tasted something so luxurious that he wasn’t used to it. Adam didn’t want to be selfish, and offered some for the two nurses. They had to work in such place and he felt sorry for them.

Later, he learned that the chocolate was from a very special store in Italy. At first, Adam didn’t believe Shakira, but then she googled the brand name, Perugina, for him, and showed him the brand logo. It was the same one on the box. Adam didn’t know how did Blake managed to get this for him, but knew that he hadn’t been this happy for a long time, and he was thankful.

 

~~******** ~~

 

The following morning, Adam was transferred back to the prison in a small car. The hospital was attached to the prison from the back, and was connected to it by an inner gate. Adam loved watching people walking around on the way. He felt a little jealous, and wished he could walk like that, but he had to follow the orders.

It took them two minutes to move from the hospital to prison, and fifteen minutes to walk inside the prison to get to the chow hall. From the door, He could see his table. Jason and Luke were talking, Ed was sitting quietly and Blake was facing away from the door, so Adam only saw the back of his head. He walked to his table, with a big smile on his face, looking at one man – Blake.

When Ed saw him, he jumped out of his chair and started waving at him like a child. Adam smiled widely and waved back. Luke saw him and rolled his eyes. Jason smiled, but Blake didn’t bother looking at him.

“Look, who’s still alive?” Luke joked, cocking an eyebrow. “Do you know how quiet the past five days were? They were perfect!”

Jason laughed. “Don’t listen to him. We missed you,” he said, patting Adam’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” Ed exclaimed. “Crazy things happened while you were gone!”

“I’m sure you’re gonna tell me,” Adam said, glancing over at Blake once. He looked like usual, grumpy.

“Oh, hell yeah! I have been waiting for you. These guys aren’t really the chatty type, so I had no one to talk to the whole time.”

Adam understood exactly what Ed meant. “I know,” he said, looking at the three guys. Then he dragged his chair a little closer to Blake’s until their shoulders were touching. Blake looked at him with a little frown.

“Hey,” Adam said.

Blake was confused and edged his head away a little to take a good look at Adam.

“Thanks for the present.”

“Your fever’s down?”

Adam nodded. He looked at Blake for a while, and Blake looked back at him. For some reason, he felt a tug in his heart, something drawing him closer to Blake. He didn’t know what it was, but didn’t try to deny it. He leaned over and kissed the other man on the lips. Blake was okay at first with the kiss, and even kissed back. But three second later, he pushed Adam away, looking angry.

Adam’s eyes went wide, a little shocked. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but the bell rang, indicating that breakfast time was over. When he was about to get up, Blake grabbed his arm and forced him to sit back down. He was a little too aggressive, but Adam didn't say anything. Ed was disappointed that Adam was not going to join him, but he had to leave.

When everyone left, Blake dragged his chair closer to Adam’s and held his finger up in warning. “Don’t you ever kiss me in public,” Blake yelled. “If you ever kiss me in public again? You’re not going to like what I’m gonna do to you!”

Adam’s eyes were frozen on Blake’s angry face, not sure exactly what he’d done wrong. It was just a kiss! They kissed! Did Blake have a problem with kissing in front of people? Even if he did, he could have told Adam in a nicer way!

“Do you understand?!” Blake yelled, looking at Adam with cold eyes.

Adam was a little offended. Still, he nodded.

“Answer me!” Blake insisted, raising his voice.

Adam looked down, shaking. “Yes.”

Blake then got up and walked away, leaving Adam alone, shocked and hurt. This was not the welcome he was expecting.

 _He was such an idiot_.

  
~~********~~

 

Adam’s good mood was done for the day. He found it funny how Blake was the one who put him in that good mood in the first place, and the one that tore it apart. He was frustrated, not just because he did something completely out of character by kissing Blake, but also because of the way Blake received it.

Ed made it a little easier for Adam to get through the day. He had too many stories about the past few days. First he told Adam about the fight that happened two days after Adam was admitted to the hospital, and how it ended with one guy losing a finger. Then he told Adam about the craziest poker game at the backyard, and how one guy won seven games in a row. Adam was more interested in the poker player. He loved a good game and wondered if he could play with the guy?

At the backyard, Adam and Ed were on their way to sit with Blake and his friends at their usual place. Adam was planning on ignoring Blake the whole time. However, he did not even get his chance.

“You two take a walk for a while,” Blake ordered.

“Everything okay?” Adam asked, genuinely worried. He didn’t know why he thought Blake was even going to give him a straight answer.

“NOW!” Blake insisted in a loud tone.

_That asshole._

 Adam hated when these three excluded him like that. This was not the first time they did this. It had been like that since he was added to their little group. They never told him anything, or even explained. It was one of the reasons why Adam was happy to have had found Ed.

A few minutes passed, and Adam heard cheering next to him. Ed told him that it was the poker guy. Adam walked to the crowd and watched the ongoing game. A man sat among four other players, laughing uncontrollably as he slammed his cards down the table.

A straight flush!

Adam smiled and watched him for a couple of hands, trying to figure if he was cheating. The man was not. He was just so good at bluffing that Adam had the urge to play with him.

“Can I play?” Adam asked after a game ended.

The guy was tall, bordering on the chubby side. Yet, he had that appeal in his face. His smile that rarely left his face. They called him Davis. He smirked. “Yes. But does your daddy know you’re here by your own?”

“He said it was fine,” Adam retorted. “So, what are you playing for?”

The man pursed his lips. “Cigarettes and only that, sugar.” The man didn’t sound like he was trying to offend Adam. “But, you’re gonna have to come tomorrow. We’re done for the day.”

Adam was not a smoker, but he knew someone who was - Jason. He figured that Jason would lend him some if he promised to double it. So, after leisure time was over, Adam decided to ask.

 

~~********* ~~

 

It was around ten when Adam summoned the courage to ask Jason. As he got up, Blake looked up. Adam kept their eyes connected as he walked out of his bed. Blake put his book down on his chest as if he was expecting Adam to come his way. Adam looked away and headed to Jason’s bed instead. He could have asked Blake to get him some cigarettes, but he wanted Blake to know he was angry.

Adam sat down on Jason’s bed, and made sure he sat as close as his “straight” body allowed. It put a puzzled look on Jason’s face, and angry one on Luke’s.

“Hey, what the hell are you doing?” Luke asked.

Adam took a very deep breath, kept his eyes on Jason and asked for what he wanted. “I need a favor,” Adam said, looking straight into Jason’s eyes.

Jason looked in Blake’s direction. He was probably not used to having people asking him and not Blake.

Blake did not look amused. But then again, he never did.

“Okay?” Jason said, still confused.

“I know you smoke,” Adam started, building it up. “So…”

“I didn’t know you did too,” Jason said, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t. Well, not anymore. I smoked some weed in college, bad experience, ugh! Anyway!” Adam was getting so off topic. “I want some cigarettes to play poker with Davis.”

“You want to gamble?”

Adam shrugged. “Yeah. I can double the amount for you.”

“Okay, why would I trust you on that?”

Adam shrugged. “Because I just wanna beat that guy.” Adam got a little too close to be considered platonic anymore. “I’ll pay for them.”

Jason cleared his throat. “You know, Blake is right there?”

Adam ignored that. “Please?”

Jason looked at Blake again. “Urm, sure. But if you lose?”

“I’ll let you choose the punishment.”

Adam could hear Luke’s angry breathing from his place. It was scary.

“Alright. If you win, I keep everything. If you lose, well, I’ll let Luke decide your punishment.” Jason looked at Luke and winked.

Adam looked at Luke. The blonde had a devilish smile on his face, already planning. Adam could see it in his eyes.

“Deal.” Adam offered his hand to Jason.

After Jason gave Adam a whole pack of cigarettes, Adam went back to his bed. Blake looked angry, angrier than usual. The muscles of his neck were tense. Adam passed by him without a word, a little happy with himself.

  
**~~****~~ **

 

The day of the game finally came. Adam had been excited about it since Jason gave him a pack of twenty. After work, Adam looked for the guy, and found him with some of his friends at their table. Jason and Ed joined the audience. Adam walked to them and put the pack on the table, demanding Davis to keep his promise.

A fresh hand started soon after Adam sat down. There were only three guys around the table that day. Davis dealt the cards and the betting round started. Adam watched the players during this hand, trying to figure them out and gain as much information as he could. This game was a fixed-limit, which meant everyone bet within a certain amount. Unfortunately, he’d lost this hand.

Jason was in the crowd shaking his head at him. Adam simply shrugged. Adam made up his mind to stop risking, and measure every move.

A second hand started, and this time, he kept his eyes on the players. He’d already spotted two players bluffing, so he didn’t pay them attention and focused on Davis. By the third round, the man on his left folded. Adam won at the showdown with a three of a kind, beating Davis’ record.

“Son of a bitch,” Davis shouted as he slammed his cards on the table.

A third hand started. Adam folded at the second round. His cards were not so great. Besides, the guy on Adam’s left seemed too confident. So, Adam just watched them as they played, studying them. The man on his left won, as Adam had predicted.

The fourth and the last hand, Adam had a pair of sevens. The betting round started and the cigarettes were contributed to the pot. Davis folded. He only had five cigarettes in front of him, and he obviously didn’t want to lose them.

Adam won at the showdown with a four of a kind. Davis was livid, but didn’t say anything really. He just gathered the cards together and put them in his pocket. The other two men were quick to leave. Adam put Jason’s twenty cigarettes back in the pack and the extra twelve he won in his pocket.

“I’m sorry,” Adam said as he gave everything to Jason. “I really wanted to double it for you. I’ll make it up to you.”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t expecting you to win. You beat his record, that was awesome!” Jason patted his shoulder. “I really wanted to see how Luke was going to punish you,” Jason said.

Adam giggled.

As they approached the others, Jason announced Adam as a winner. Luke actually looked impressed for once, and congratulated Adam. Adam avoided looking at Blake, still sulking and waiting for some sort of an apology.


	11. Chapter 11

Behati and Adam were getting closer. She became one of his favorite people. She was really smart, and passionate about her art, kids and community. She would take pictures of the beach, the skyscrapers and some of Adam’s favorite places. She also brought photos of her little girls, her mother and her house. The girls looked so much like her, especially when they smiled.

“They look like you,” Adam told her one day, when she brought him more photos of the girls.

Behati chuckled. “A lot of people say that, but I think they look more like their father than me.”

She gave him a photo of her late husband. He was a handsome man, olive green eyes and dark brown, curly hair. Adam compared the two photos. “Yeah, I can see some of him in their eyes.”

“Yes!” she exclaimed, agreeing. “They are my most precious gift, my little miracles.”

They continued talking, moving from one subject to another. She said that she bought the Jaguar he’d suggested. She told him that his uncle gave her a discount when he found out that Adam was the one that sent her. Adam was so happy that his family still had his back. They believed him, too.

Usually, he would help a girl like her, hoping he’d one day get in her pants or something. However, since he’d gotten in prison, his perspective changed, and he genuinely just wanted to help her. He had noticed how easy it was to talk to her, once the sex part was out of the window, and it got him thinking. Had he ever had a real connection with a woman before? He probably hadn’t. Behati was the first woman that he was actually interested in knowing.

 

~~******** ~~

  
That night, Adam was on his bed, sketching out her face. For some reason, he could remember every little detail. It was as if she was sitting right in front of him. Maybe it was because he’d actually spent the entire time looking at her face, not her cleavage? Not that it was showing. He didn’t think he would have looked. He couldn’t even imagine her naked. That’s how much he respected her.

“Who is that?” Adam heard Jason’s voice, through his busy thoughts.

Adam looked up. “What?”

Jason pointed with his head. “The girl you’re drawing.”

Adam looked down at the sketch as if surprised that he actually drew her. “Urm, she’s just a girl from the Sunday group.”

Adam felt Blake’s eyes on him, and suddenly, he felt weird, as if he was cheating or something. He didn’t know how to deal with that. It was not like he had any feeling for either of them or anything.

“She’s cute,” Jason said. “You’re really good at this.”

Luke was listening to their conversation by then. “Show me,” he asked. Adam held his paper up to show him, ignoring Blake for a second. When he looked at Blake, he was relieved to know that Blake was not really paying attention. “Yeah, she’s hot! Well, if that how she really looks like in real life.”

Adam looked at her again. “Yeah,” he said, a little proud of himself.

“You should draw something for Blake’s birthday,” Jason said as he returned to Luke’s bed, and sat down. “When is it again? Tomorrow?”

Adam’s eyes went wide, and looked at Blake for a second.

“Nope,” Luke said. “It’s the day after tomorrow. But it’s not like he loves gifts anyway. Last time I gave him a present, he threw it in the fireplace,” Luke said, before he turned to Blake. “I’m still salty about that, by the way.”

Blake was looking at Luke now. “I told you not to get me anything,” Blake said, putting the book down on his chest.

“You were fourteen! How the hell was I supposed to know you were serious?”

“I am always serious.”

“I saved for that leather jacket for months! Luke protested. “And you didn’t even say thank you! Actually, thinking about it, you never say thank you. Or sorry! Or even attempt to apologize in any way or form! I don’t even know why I am following you around!”

Blake shrugged. “Because you need me.”

“No, you idiot, that’s not it! You’re like my little brother. I have to keep you safe.”

Adam frowned. Confused. “Wait, you are older than him?”

“Yes, I am five years older than Blake,” Luke said, pounding on his chest with his fist, proud. “He’s turning thirty four in two days.”

Adam’s jaw dropped. “That means you’re thirty nine? Wow! Urm, you look…”

“Young, right?” Jason finished Adam’s sentence, squeezing Luke’s cheek. “He has a baby face.”

Luke huffed and pushed Jason away. “Go fuck yourself.”

“And saying that makes him mad,” Jason added, teasing Luke. Luke just punched him in the arm. Then they started bickering, with Jason teasing Luke even more, and Luke losing his shit.

Adam heard Blake chuckle, and his eyes followed the sound. Blake was looking at the other two with a big smile that had his dimples deep on the sides of his face. He looked happy, which was very rare.

That image of Blake stayed in Adam’s mind for the rest of the night, flashing in the dark room before his eyes. He’d thought about doing as Jason suggested, and drawing something for Blake. But he was reluctant. Why would he draw something that Blake might reject? He gave it a few minutes of pure thinking before he decided not to.

 

~~******** ~~

 

The morning came and Adam was already up, so angry at himself. His hands had graphite stains on them, and his heart was beating in his chest. He stayed up all night debating if he wanted to draw something for Blake. When the daylight started spreading in the room, Adam sat up and went against his rational thinking.

He did it. He drew a picture for Blake – a deer head, which had long, branched antlers and smooth hair. It started as an idea for a big tattoo on someone’s chest, Blake’s, to be specific. He liked imagining it there, big and contrasting with Blake’s white skin. He was turned on the whole time he was sketching it. He was not sure if it was because he liked tattoos too much, or because he kept imaging running his tongue over Blake’s inked skin.

Staring at the picture, Adam was not sure if he should give it to Blake face to face, or just leave it on the table, hoping no one saw it before Blake. He decided on the prior. Luke was probably exaggerating about Blake’s reaction to his present, Adam thought. No one was that cruel.

He put the gift under his pillow, waiting for the right time, which came sooner than Adam had anticipated. When the doors opened, and everyone got out, heading for breakfast, Blake stayed behind. He did that sometimes. Adam decided that it was the right time to give him the picture. Blake was usually busy or out of sight most of the day.

Blake was sitting on his bed, feet on the floor, and back curved forward. Adam was shaking a little with anxiety as he held his picture towards Blake. It took Blake a moment to respond, which made the shorter guy more nervous. He felt like a child showing his parents his first drawing. Blake looked up, and his eyes fell on the paper. He took it, straightened up and looked in it.

“What is this?” Blake asked, staring at the sketch.

Adam licked his lips. “Happy birthday.”

Blake’s eyebrows sank down a little.

“I thought you might want to get a new tattoo or something. I think it’s gonna look cool on...”

Blake crumpled the paper in his hand before Adam finished, turning it into an irregular ball. “I thought Luke was perfectly clear last night?”

Adam’s heart dropped. He spent two seconds looking at his drawing, ruined in Blake’s hand. “I thought maybe… maybe you’ll change your mind, since…”

“Well, you thought wrong. Take it.” Blake held the crumpled wad of paper to Adam, but Adam was too heartbroken to take it. So, Blake just threw it away somewhere and got up. “Go have your breakfast.”

Adam was not sure why he was this shocked. Luke told him not give Blake anything, but Adam was the one who didn’t listen. Why the hell did he think Blake would actually accept it?

“Why are you doing this?” Adam quiet, barely audible.

Blake was way gone, behind him at the sink.

“Why can’t you just accept a kind gesture?!” Adam shouted as he walked to Blake. “You know, I didn’t even have to give you anything! You have been treating me like shit for the past few days, but I chose to be the bigger person here and let it go. Why can’t you just treat me like a human?”

Blake stayed quiet for a while, before he opened the tap, letting the water run into his cupped hands. “You’re not worth it.”

Adam’s jaw dropped. He was expecting Blake’s answer to be cold, cruel, but not that heartless. He felt something break inside him. “How could you?” Adam asked, voice barely coming out. “Who are you to say if I’m worth it or not?”

Blake washed his face once, before he sighed and looked at Adam. “I gave you one chance to leave,” he said in a threatening tone. “If you’re still here by the time I’m done, I’m gonna show you exactly who I am, and you’re not gonna like it!”

“Drop dead.” Adam took one step backwards, shaking his head in disappointment. “I hope you burn in hell a million times!” Adam left it with that, turned around and walked away.

Blake just continued washing his face, like the cold giant that he was.

 

~~******** ~~

 

Another day passed, with Adam shaking with anger and hurt by Blake’s comment. He could not comprehend how could someone be this harsh, or cruel. They didn’t talk all day, or even look at each other. Jason and Luke had noticed, but did not do or say anything. Adam didn’t even know why he was trying to get Blake to open up to him, be nice and just see him as an equal.

That night, Adam woke up to someone breathing heavy. At first he thought Luke and Jason were having sex again. But he was wrong. The sound came from Blake’s bed. Adam turned his head a little and saw Blake sitting on the be, with his feet on the floor. He was holding the necklace around his neck, a little out of breath.

The necklace usually stayed in Blake’s pockets, so Adam only found out about it a long time after he moved into this cell. It was made out of silver, and kind of looked like a military army pendant. Adam didn’t know why it was important to Blake and why he was holding it that night. Adam figured Blake had a nightmare or something. He decided to mind his own business, and went back to sleep.

 The following morning, Adam woke up a little too late. He sat up on his bed and watched as the door opened for a few seconds. Luke and Jason were up, putting on their shoes. They greeted him before they headed outside. Adam looked around and saw Blake drying his face with a towel in front of the bathroom sink. Adam was still mad at him. So, he got up and walked straight to the door. He didn’t want to spend the morning with him alone.

“Adam, you’re staying here,” Blake said, throwing the towel on Jason’s bed.

Adam ignored him. The line of men was already moving, so Adam didn’t have to wait to see Blake’s reaction. For a moment, Adam thought he’d escaped, but then he heard a guard, calling out his name. Adam did not stop, pretending he did not hear.

The guard finally caught up with him, grabbed his arm tightly and pulled him out of the line. He looked pissed. “I was calling your name, didn’t you hear me?” The guard was obviously holding back his anger. He probably didn’t want to piss Blake off.

“Sorry,” Adam said. He was not genuine with his apology. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“You need to come with me.” The guard dragged him behind, not waiting to hear from Adam.

Adam knew where exactly they were going, and he was not looking forwards to it. After the guard dropped Adam off at his cell, he apologized for taking too long, saying that he had to chase Adam down the hallway. Blake dismissed him, and watched him go away. Then, he turned at Adam, anger flying off of his eyes, making Adam a little uncomfortable. Still, Adam looked at him with as much anger.

Blake walked to him.

“No,” Adam yelled, and took a step backwards. “Don’t get closer. Say what you want from there.”

Blake’s eyes squinted as he continued to walk to Adam. He grabbed Adam’s wrist and pulled him aggressively towards his body.

“No! Get off me!” Adam pushed him away and slapped his face with his free hand, which was not exactly a wise decision. Adam should have thought first before slapping an angry man, who was probably capable of playing tennis with his shredded body.

Blake spent two long seconds staring at Adam. His hand was getting so tight around Adam’s wrist he was almost blocking the blood circulation. Then he pushed Adam against a wall, and held both his hands up, pinning them.

“This is your second strike, Levine!” Blake said voice deep with anger. “My patience is running out for you and your attitude. One day, I won’t be able to stand this shit, and when that happens? You’ll be out of here! I’ll throw you out to these men who love you too much!”

“This is what?!” Adam said, trying to move.

Blake tightened his hands around his wrists and shoved him back into the wall.

Adam groaned in pain. “Let go! It hurts!”

“Don’t test me, Adam,” Blake warned. “You don’t want me to be hard on you!”

“Oh, and you’re not hard now?!”

Blake’s nose flared. “Trust me, you haven’t seen hard yet!”

Adam gulped, pulse rising. He looked away to stop feeling Blake’s breathing on his face, and to stop looking at the other man. “Get off me.”

Blake leaned over and put his lips close to Adam’s ear. Adam shivered. His breath was so close. “You’re butt-hurt because I was not happy with your little gift yesterday?” He kissed Adam’s ear. “Well, here’s your chance to give me something that’s actually worth something in my book.”

“No! Get o–” Adam gasped for air. Blake had bit his ear. That son of a bitch bit his ear!

“I’m gonna give your ass something that will hurt you for real this time!”

Adam could not move. Blake’s lips moved to his neck and pressed against it. “So, you’re gonna be quiet, and get what I give you.” Blake put a kiss on the corner of Adam’s mouth. “Understood?”

Adam nodded.

Blake paused for a few seconds, letting go of Adam’s wrists. Adam didn’t move from his place, just avoided looking at Blake.

The country man sighed, moved closer and held Adam’s face up. His nose traced an invisible line on Adam’s cheek, breathing warm and gentle on Adam’s skin. Blake started kissing Adam gently around his ear, his hand slipped down to Adam’s arm then settled on his hips, as his lips drew a train of kisses along the side of Adam’s neck and all the way to his shoulder. They were tender, a little wet and long.

Adam did not get it. How did those sweet kisses come from such cruel man? If he didn’t know better, Adam could have sworn that he was in the arms of the warmest and the sweetest man that had ever lived. He resisted as hard as he could, but Blake’s cologne did the final trick. It melted him little by little. Before he knew it, his eyes were closed and he was feeling everything that Blake was doing to his neck, shoulders and face. His breathing was getting a little shallow, and his heart beating a little faster.

Blake stopped, for a few minutes, to undo Adam’s shirt. Adam just watched his hands as they undid the small buttons. He hated that his own body wasn’t listening to his commands. Blake pushed the shirt over Adam’s shoulders and let it slip down Adam’s arms, and then fall to the floor. Adam made sure to look at Blake once to let him know he was still mad.

Blake smirked, and reached to pinch Adam’s bottom lips. “You look pretty, crying.” He squeezed Adam’s lip too hard, making Adam wince in pain.

Adam could not just get it. Why did he want this man?

Blake held Adam’s hand to his lips and kissed it. Adam couldn’t look away. Angry or not, that made his heart flutter. Blake pulled Adam back to him and slotted their lips together. Adam turned his face around, not wanting Blake to kiss him. Blake said nothing, only grabbed Adam’s chin and forced the kiss on his lips.

Adam was not proud of how little resistance his body gave. It took him only a sad ten seconds to open his mouth for Blake and have his tongue inside. He was kissing back, lips eager for Blake’s, mouth and tongue licking away, Blake’s the minty taste of the toothpaste. His body was shaking already, and he had to grab on Blake’s shoulder for support. Not that he had to. Blake was holding him tight and close. He could feel Blake’s hands sliding down to his butt. He didn’t want them to stop them. They were not gentle on Adam’s ass. They grabbed the cheeks tight and pressed them together, making Adam gasp, breaking their lips.

They kissed again and again. Meanwhile, Adam managed to take off his shoes. Blake’s lips were persistent and demanding, leaving no room for Adam to breathe. They were gasping in each other lungs, feeding from each other’s energy. Adam found some remedy for his broken heart in Blake’s arms.

Blake left Adam wanting more and just sat on the bed. “Get on your knees,” he said, looking straight into Adam’s eyes.

There was still some anger inside Adam, and he knew he was not going to enjoy blowing Blake’s dick. He did as he told, though. He sank to his knees and helped Blake’s dick get out through the fly. It was already half-hard. The foreskin was pushed back slightly. Adam gulped, and started stroking it with his hand, using the precome to get it a little wet. Then, he put the head in his mouth. He had zero interest in doing this, but tried anyway. He moved his mouth up and down like some kind of a programmed robot.

It was horrible and he knew it, but did not try to fix anything. He just hoped Blake would get frustrated with him and ask him to leave. But Blake didn’t. He just sat there, watching Adam. Adam only got worse from then on.

Blake finally decided he had enough. He grabbed his arm and pulled him up on to his feet. Then, he pulled him to his body, getting Adam on the bed with him. Adam was straddling him, hands on his shoulders for balance.

“Take off your top,” Blake ordered as he undid Adam’s pants. Adam did as he was told. He grabbed the hem of his top and pulled it over his head.

His body was prickling, just imagining what was coming. Blake’s lips pressed against the front of his neck as he manipulated them slowly onto the bed. Soon, Adam was on his back and Blake between his wide open legs. Blake’s lips started kissing at Adam’s neck, sucking, biting and licking where he bit. Adam’s body was losing control, shuddering at the slightest touch. His chest and stomach going up and down as his breathing hitched and heaved. Adam did not want to see Blake, so he turned his face away, and put his arm across his face.

Blake’s fingers hooked under Adam’s pants and pulled them all the way to one ankle. Then he did the same to Adam’s boxers. Adam was half hard, the head glistening with precome. He tried to pretend that it was all a natural reaction, but that didn’t work. He knew that he was turned on. He felt like a prostitute, who hated what she did, but loved getting fucked anyway.

Blake started kissing Adam’s body again, wet long kisses along his chest. His lips stopped at one of Adam’s nipples and started licking there, as his hand stroked Adam’s cock at the same time. Adam had never played with his nipples, nor had anyone play with them for the matter. They were just accessories on his body. Something that he forgot he had sometimes. The way Blake’s tongue was licking his nipple had his cock twitching. His brain was playing tricks with him, because he was actually enjoying it. Adam groaned and buried his face into the pillow, twisting his torso to the right a little. Other than that rebellious moan that came out of his mouth, Adam did a good job of keeping his voice down his throat.

Blake’s lips moved down slowly, pressing feather-like kisses everywhere. They stopped at Adam’s belly button, making Adam’s body arch in surprise. He liked Blake licking there, and in there. It made his cock leak like a broken pipe. His breathing was getting shallow and fast as Blake’s lips moved lower and started kissing around Adam’s pubic hair, his chin touching Adam’s dick, teasing the head. Blake’s lips were too close to Adam’s cock, and it got all Adam’s attention poured at that spot.

Suddenly, Blake’s lips disappeared, and Adam felt a hand under the pillow, which soon disappeared too.

Blake’s touching stopped for a few moments. During them, Adam heard the cap of the lube being open and closed. Then, Blake’s fingers came back, wet and cold, smearing lube around Adam’s asshole. Adam gasped when Blake’s index finger was pushed in without a warning and started moving in and out. Blake did not wait for Adam to get used to the size inside him, and pushed in another finger. Adam groaned, involuntarily opening his legs wider and lifting them up.

Blake’s lips were on his nipple again, licking. It felt so good, especially with the burn around his rim. Blake’s lips moved down again, giving Adam’s belly button some attention before they settled in Adam’s pubes, kissing the skin under the thick curls.

“You’re really horrible at blowing,” Blake said, lowly. His lips pressed at the top of Adam’s cock as he licked the ridges and teased the slit with the tip of his tongue.

Adam’s eyes were squeezed shut. His heart was beating like crazy, his hips arched up a little as if in anticipation. He was not expecting Blake to actually give him a blow job, but the idea got his head spinning.

Suddenly, Adam’s cock disappeared slowly into the most wonderful, the warmest and the wettest place it’d felt in months. He did not have to look to know that he was in Blake’s mouth. Every cell in his body melted down into the mattress. His anger disappeared and all what left was heat and pleasure.

Adam was gasping for air, hand grabbing the sheets tight, pulling them towards his yearning body. Blake’s mouth was so warm and wet as it moved up and down his cock smoothly, his teeth gently grasping at his skin. Adam didn’t want to look at Blake. He didn’t want Blake to stop. It’d been too long since he’d felt anything like that. Blake’s fingers were still for the first few minutes of it, but then they started moving again. Adam whined, and his arm just slipped off of his face.

He opened his eyes, and saw Blake between his legs, leaned over with his mouth wrapped around Adam’s dick. You’d think people would look vulnerable in these situations, but Adam was the one that was helpless. He was butt naked, ass up in the air, stretched wide over two fingers and his dick at someone else’s mercy. Blake looked up at Adam and into his eyes. That sharp gaze had Adam shaking like a leaf. Adam had never felt so scared and so grateful at the same time, and it blew his mind trying to locate the anger he had earlier for Blake. His hand reached over and touched Blake’s hair. It was so soft.

Adam was expecting Blake to stop, but he hadn’t. Blake used his free hand to push one of Adam’s legs up. Adam understood the gesture and kept both of his legs up with his hands under his knees. Blake pushed his fingers deeper, fucking Adam with an angle now. Adam’s head sank into the pillow, sparks flashing before his eyes.

Blake swallowed Adam’s cock deep down to his throat, making Adam scream. The heat was overwhelming, drawing one moan after another from Adam’s mouth. It felt like too much, getting his prostate abused by Blake’s fingers and his dick blown at the same time. Yet he thought he’d just die if Blake had stopped.

Blake suddenly pulled out his fingers, leaving Adam feeling empty and sloppy. His wet hand ran over Adam’s torso, and settled down Adam’s right pectoral. His fingers started flicking Adam’s nipple, rolling it between them, before Blake pinched it hard.

A sharp pain shot through Adam’s body. He whined, and his body arched up to push Blake’s hand away. Blake didn’t get the gesture and kept his fingers tight around Adam’s poor nipple. Slowly, the pain subsided and a wave of pleasure washed over him, especially when Blake decided to swallow more of him. He could feel the back of Blake’s throat and his body melted back into the bed.

After Blake pulled Adam’s cock from his mouth, Adam was already a mess. His face was burning hot, his lips red from his teeth biting them and his body shaking. Blake leaned over Adam, hands pressed heavily on either side, making the mattress sink a little. They kissed, breathing hastily, eagerly into each other. Adam could taste himself in Blake’s mouth and it made him a little dizzy.

As they made out, Blake’s hand felt under the pillow under Adam’s head. When they parted Adam found that Blake was holding a condom. His ass clenched, anticipating.

He pushed Adam’s legs up and gestured for Adam to keep them up. Adam did, holding them below his knees.

Blake sat on his heels, poured some lube in his hand and smeared it all over his cock. Adam bit his lips, watching Blake’s cock at his asshole. Blake made sure Adam’s legs were high enough for Adam to watch.

“Open up,” Blake said, pushing the tip of his dick in. He was moving slowly.

“Fuck,” Adam swore, opening his legs wider. He hated himself for being so desperate, for having no shame. This wasn’t him. “Hurry the fuck up.”

“Are you certain you’re straight?” Blake asked, hissing as he pushed the head deeper. Adam swore and opened his legs wide.

Adam mewled, a little mesmerized by the way Blake’s cock was spreading him out. Blake pushed deeper, as he put his arms around Adam’s thighs for more control.

“I don’t kn… anymore…” Adam didn’t know what he saying. His entire focus was on Blake’s cock pulsing on his walls. “You did this to me.”

“That’s cute,” Blake said, pushing more in.

Adam squeezed his eyes shut and let his head sink back into the pillow.

Blake pulled out, poured some more lube onto his hard dick, and smeared some on Adam’s stretched asshole. Adam didn’t think he was ever this excited before in his life. He opened his legs a little wider when Blake pressed his cock against his hole again.

Blake pushed slowly, spreading Adam out and holding his legs up. Adam reached over and fixed the pillow under him, to get more comfortable. Blake, being the tease he was, didn’t push all the way in, but left half of his cock out. He started moving in and out ever so slowly. Adam tried to speed up the pace by moving his hips, but Blake stopped him.

Blake kept this slow speed for too long. Adam was going crazy, his ass clenching wanting more. This pace was doing nothing but getting him so close to losing his mind. “Are you going deeper or what?!” The words just slipped out of his horny brain, without much thinking involved. He’d never thought he would be saying these words in his life.

“Hush,” Blake said, ignoring Adam afterwards. He didn’t change his tempo, only lifted Adam’s legs farther up. Adam hated how Blake was playing with him, without any consideration of his needs or what he wanted. Adam was burning up from the inside. He needed more, of everything, but Blake was only giving him too little.

_It was cruel._

Lost in his frustrated thoughts, Adam felt Blake going deeper. His body sank in relief as he pushed back, getting more for his greedy hole. A smile spread on his open lips when Blake finally hit his prostate. Blake continued, pushing inside, looking amused. He was probably pleased, watching Adam being a slut for his cock.

When Blake’s cock hit that barrier inside Adam, Blake took a moment to adjust before moving. He moved slowly again, taking his dick all the way out, only to slam it back in. Adam’s voice gave out a loud groan every time that dick went inside, hitting his prostate on the way.

“You’re enjoying this?” Blake asked, picking up a faster rhythm. Adam didn’t answer.

Blake started fucking him faster, impaling his asshole. Adam couldn’t control his voice, muttering a compilation of unfinished sentences. “Please, I… Fuck… It’s so b… I can’t…”

His dick was screaming to be touched, but he knew that if he came now his prostate would get too sensitive and the pleasure would be over for him. So, he left his dick lying on his hips, lonely, hot and swollen. As Blake fucked him, he reached over and grabbed Adam’s cock. Adam pushed his hand.

“Please not… not now!” Adam urged, not expecting Blake to listen. But Blake did, and let go of his cock. He held Adam’s hand instead, threading their fingers together.

Blake continued to move with a steady tempo, watching his own dick moving in and out. It didn’t take long before he grabbed Adam’s dick and started jerking it off. The pleasure from both ends caused Adam to let out a long groan of pleasure.

Blake’s movement got a little chaotic, and Adam knew he was about to cum. He could feel Blake’s cock pulsing and twitching inside him. Adam wrapped his legs around Blake and waited until Blake came inside him, to push him towards his body, burying his cock deeper inside Adam, and keeping it there until he came himself.

Blake kept jerking Adam’s cock until it got soft in his hand, and then he used his thumb to flick Adam’s hypersensitive head. Adam grunted in pain, removed his legs from around Blake, and got up. Blake’s cock slipped right out with a loud pop.

“That fucking hurt!” Adam yells.

“Don’t you ever do that with your legs,” Blake warned, but didn’t seem genuine with his anger. There was a little smile in his eyes.

“What are you smiling at?” He asked, pulling a sheet up to hide his body. “Give me my pants?”

Blake looked at him for a few seconds and sighed. He reached behind him and grabbed Adam’s pants.

After Adam put them on, he got up and put on his t-shirt. They didn’t say a single word after that. Adam just put on the rest of his clothes and left. Even as tired as he was, he didn’t want to be with Blake. The anger from the other day came back double, mixed with shame and self-loathing.

How could he lose control like this? What was wrong with him?

 

~~******** ~~

 

It was a few hours past the middle of night when Adam woke up to a loud gasp next to him. His eyes snapped open as he looked behind. The room was lit by the lamp next to Blake’s bed. The country man was on his bed, breathing heavily. Adam figured that he had yet another dream. Adam watched him for a few minutes, a little sorry for him. How many of these nightmares did Blake have only last week? The guy doesn’t sleep. No wonder he always had headaches in the morning.

Adam didn't care, and just rolled back on his side and went back to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

August rolled in quickly, and Adam was starting to feel unstable. Sometimes he was okay, enjoying his time in Blake’s company. Other times, the fact that he was in prison and that he was wrongfully convicted hit him too hard. He would look around and see men beating the shit out of each other, guards smoking and a management abusing the inmates both physically and emotionally. Sometimes, he would panic by himself in his bed, feeling claustrophobic, angry and scared. Other times he’d keep it piled inside him, go on with his day.

Yes, his stay with Blake was different from the stay of a normal prisoner. He woke up whenever he wanted, he didn’t have to go to work and still got paid, and he had people staying out of his way and off his shoulders. But there were a lot that he was missing, the life behind the high walls, the ocean and music.

He was also terrified. In a blink of an eye everything could change. It’s not like he was expecting Blake to keep him safe forever. People get bored, some faster than others. Adam didn’t have a backup plan, and it wasn’t like he could simply transfer to another prison. These procedures took forever, and there was no guarantee he wouldn’t get the same threats there.

He honestly didn’t know what to do.

Adam got out of the laundry room one day, edging about another breakdown. It was August, his favorite month, and the laundry room felt like a fucking oven. Adam was shaking with despair, anger and discomfort. He couldn’t help but think of all the things he was missing out on. He should have been on the beach by now, lounging at a pool with friends, drinking. This was all just a big mistake. His body was sweaty, covered in rash and his high metabolism did nothing to cool his already frustrated body down.

After work hours, he stormed out of the laundry room and straight to the staircases. He was praying to god the guards didn’t stop him to ask about where he was going, because he was genuinely going to scream. Thankfully they didn’t. They knew who he was by then and let him move freely around the facility. Adam climbed up the stairs, stomping, trying his best not snap. His chest felt so tight, suffocating.

When he reached his cell, he started actually screaming at the top of his lungs, throwing the pillows away and kicking the chairs. He flung away the sheets, the sketch book, pencils, everything. He didn’t care. There was so much anger inside him and too little reason to heal it. After there was nothing else to throw, he stood in the middle of the cell in defeat. He was weeping silently. His chest felt so tight, he couldn’t breathe.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him that broke him out of his thoughts. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw Blake at the bathroom door, with a towel around his neck. He was looking at Adam as if he was looking at a crazy man.

_Did he hear?_

Adam wiped his tears and just stood there, staring ahead. Blake walked towards him, slowly. Adam was still sniffing and tried to avoid Blake’s eyes. He didn’t know what to say, or how to explain what had just happened. Blake stood a few inches from him, but said nothing. Adam didn’t look up. “What do you want?” Adam asked, turning away to wide his wet eyes with his sleeve.

Blake took a deep breath and let it out. “Did someone hurt you?”

Adam wanted to laugh. “No, Blake no one fucking hurt me. Now, leave me alone!”

“You don’t have to lie to me,” Blake insisted. “Just tell me who.”

Adam grunted and turned around, frustrated. “No one hurt me, can’t you hear?!” Adam said. “So spare me the nice guy act and leave me alone!”

Blake clenched his jaw and stepped forwards. “Then why the hell were you screaming like a madman?”

Adam couldn’t believe how stubborn Blake was. Couldn’t he see that Adam needed a break? Especially from him. Blake was not exactly any less of a problem than the other things.

“You want to know what’s bothering me? Great! That’s just great!” he yelled, glaring up at Blake. “How about every-fucking-thing? I’m stuck in this place forever, for a crime I didn’t even commit. I lost my friends, my fiancée thinks I’m a fucking murderer, I can’t see my family and I lost my job. I lost everything that I have ever worked for! Every single thing!”

“What do you mean you didn’t commit – “ Blake asked, Adam interrupted him before he could finish.

“And then, there are YOU! You… you just took the last bit of control I had over my life and shredded it to pieces!” Tears sprung in his eyes again. “You think It is okay to toy with people like this? Well, flash news, Buddy. It’s not. It’s cruel and heartless. Because of you, I don’t even feel like I exist! I just don’t exist anymore! I don’t know what to do!”

They stood there in silence for a long minute as Adam tried to wipe his tears as fast as they were falling down. His chest felt so tight it almost closed on his heart and made it stop. Blake was standing there, looking at him with eyebrows furrowed and eyes filled with a uncanny look that Adam didn’t understand. Then, the country man took a step forward.

“Please, don’t,” Adam said, weakly. It sounded like he was whining in pain and he hated it. “Leave me alone!”

Blake stayed quiet for a few more seconds. That torn look in his eyes got stronger and he sighed. “If you want, we can stop.”

Adam grunted. “For god’s sake, you know I can’t...!”

“I won’t let them be near you,” Blake interrupted. “You’ll be transferred to your old cell and everything will go back to where it was, except no one will bother you again.”

Adam was listening dumbfounded. “What?”

Blake sighed. “You know I hate repeating myself.” When Adam didn’t say anything, he heaved out another breath. “You don’t have to worry about Fred. I’ll have him transferred to another prison. You won’t have anything to worry about.”

Adam wiped his tears away and looked Blake in the eyes to see how sincere he was. Blake’s eyebrows sank deeper as he looked in Adam’s face. He got closer. This time Adam didn’t ask him to stop and just watched him as he held his face and wiped the remaining tears from under Adam’s eyes. “God, you’re a fucking baby, aren’t you?”

Adam blinked once. “You mean it, what you’ve just said?”

Blake looked deep in his eyes for a long moment and nodded. “You’ll be sent to your old cell tonight, or whenever you’re ready to leave.”

“What about, you know… sex?”

“You’re not the last man standing on earth.”

Adam stared in Blake’s eyes in disbelief. The country man looked serious. “You really mean it!”

Blake got angry. “I don’…”

“I know. You don’t like repeating yourself! I know. I just can’t… believe…!” Adam’s chest was feeling less tight now. “Why would you do this?”

Blake pushed Adam’s hair away from his forehead. “Consider it an apology.”

Adam blinked, getting himself closer to Blake. The older man’s jaw clenched as his eyes lingered on Adam’s lips for a mere second. Adam’s heart tugged.

“Alight, tell me when you want to go, and I’ll arrange things.” Before Blake let go of Adam’s face, he leaned over and pressed a long kiss on the corner of Adam’s mouth. “I’ll go read in the library. You have some time to calm down.”

Blake left Adam standing in the middle of the cell and went to the table to get his book. Adam suddenly stopped him by grabbing his arm. The tall man turned around and eyed him with a question.

“Can I have a hug?” Adam asked, getting closer.

Blake set his jaw. “I don’t like hugs.”

Adam pleaded with his eyes, making Blake swallow. The country man sighed and scratched his jaw. “Fine. One minute.”

Adam smiled and almost jumped on him. He put his arms around Blake’s neck, making Blake bend his back forwards. Blake’s strong arms went around Adam’s waist and picked him up as he straightened his back, pressing their bodies incredibly close. Adam buried his face in the crook of his neck and hugged him tighter.

“It’s okay,” Blake whispered in his ear. “I’ve got you.”

Adam closed his eyes and listened to Blake’s voice. It filled him with a warm feeling that comforted him, cleared all the fog in his brain. They stayed just like that for a while, just swimming in the most comfortable silence.

“I don’t… want to leave this cell.” Adam opens his eyes and stares at a point ahead. “I … well, my body apparently likes having sex with you. So, I don’t mind if we continue.”

“Didn’t you just say you hate it.” Blake’s arms got tighter around his body. “You have to make up your mind.”

“I didn’t say that,” Adam said, edging his head a little to look at Blake. “I like the sex part; you’ll have to be an idiot if you can’t see that."

Blake set his jaw. Adam smiled.

“You know I like it.”

Blake’s nose flared as her looked at Adam’s lips.

“I just wish,” Adam starts but doesn’t finish. “All that bothers me is just….”

“What is it?” Blake asks in a gentle tone.

Adam’s shoulders relaxed. “I would very much like to do it on my terms, too. I hate when you force me! When I say stop, you must stop! Don’t make me feel like I have no choice.”

Blake looked at him, eyes squint. “Even if I agreed to this, that doesn’t erase what happened. So it’s better if you just g…”

Adam interrupted. “But, you can make it up for all this time. Stop screaming at me, saying things you don't mean and treating me like I'm nothing. That's all I want! I know you're not as cruel as you pretend to be.”

“You don't know me.”

“I don't, but...” Adam paused and cupped Blake’s cheek, looking deep into his eyes. “There's no cruel man who would look at his friends the same way you look at yours.” Adam smiled at him. “So, I know you can be gentle if you want. So. can you do it? Be kinder to me?”

Blake closed his eyes in thought. Then, he nodded.

Adam nuzzled at his neck again, inhaling his cologne. It felt as if all his worries had melted away. Everything that ever bothered him, or caused him discomfort felt like it was never real, like it was just a big nightmare that wore off a long time ago.

“What do you miss?” Blake asked, gently, breaking the silence.

Adam bit on his bottom lip. “My life,” he answered. “I miss my life.” He took a second to get a grip around his voice. “It’s summer. I should have been on the beach. I was going to stay at my mother’s this month, take care of her. She had a stroke a few years ago, and I’m always worried I’m gonna lose her. Always.” His voice choked on his tears, remembering how he felt when his mother was admitted to the hospital the first time. “I should have been promoted this month. I was going to have my own office and parking space, and I don’t even have a car! I miss my iPod, and my stupid couch that I should have fixed two years ago.”

“You were a car salesman?” Blake asked, quietly. Adam didn’t know how Blake found out, but he nodded anyway.

“You may think it is simple, but I like it. I’m good at selling stuff. I have a business marketing degree, so...”

“I knew you weren’t just a pretty face,” Blake said, making Adam chuckle.

Adam looked at Blake and found him smiling a little too. They kissed as Blake put Adam down again. Adam looked at him and combed his fingers through Blake’s grey hair. “Since you’re all nice now, I need a favor.”

Blake licks his lips. “What is it?” His arms were still around Adam as he looked down at him.

“My parents’ fortieth anniversary is next week. My father used to buy lilies for my mother on that day. After he died, I started buying the flowers for her. Could you just send some for her? I will pay for it.”

“You don’t have to pay,” Blake said, shaking his head slightly. “I’ll just need an address.”

Adam nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”

Adam hugged Blake again.

“I said one minute,” Blake protested, not fond of the hug.

“Yeah, yeah,” Adam hugged Blake tighter, ignoring Blake’s protest. “Just one more minute, then I’ll leave you alone.”

Blake was all but hug Adam again. They stayed quiet for a few moments, with Blake’s arms still tight around him. Adam was grateful that Blake offered nothing but support, no funny remarks, no reprimanding, nothing but his strong, safe arms.

“I can ask Luke to teach you some self-defense moves, if you want,” Blake said, interrupting the silence.

Adam blinked a few times. Then, he tilted his head back to look at Blake again. He was a little surprised, but willing. “Would he agree?”

“He may need some persuasion.” His eyes shifted to Adam’s lips for a brief second before going back to looking in his eyes. “Do you want to learn some?”

Adam nodded. “Yeah, please.”

“Okay.”

Adam hugged Blake again, putting his face in the juncture of Blake’s neck. A smile spread on his lips as he sucked in deep breaths and let them out slowly. After a few long moments, he pulled himself away from Blake, but Blake’s arms just didn’t let go. “I should clean the mess I made.”

“I’ll ask someone to do it for you.”

Adam shook his head, no. “They won’t know where to put things.”

Blake smirked slightly. “A little OCD?”

Adam smiled, put his hands on Blake’s chest and pushed him away. “Shut up.” He smiled still. “Get off me.”

Blake held his face again and kissed his cheek. “Tell me if you change your mind.”

Adam nodded, before they finally pulled away from each other. Adam started cleaning the mess he’d made, while Blake sat on his bed and started reading his new book. After Adam was done, he took a shower and changed his uniform. Then he curled up next to Blake on the bed.

It was quiet and peaceful in his mind for once.

 

~~******** ~~

 

As promised, Blake told Luke that he was from now on responsible for teaching Adam some self-defense. Luke was furious with Blake, and refused.

“No!” Luke yelled out loud. “Absolutely not!

Blake was at the table, writing something down on a blank piece of paper. So, he didn’t answer.

“I’d rather just drag my balls over broken glass for the rest of my life,” Luke continued. “He’s disrespectful, annoying and a pain in the ass! If you want someone to teach him a few moves, do it yourself! Or ask Jason! They’re like best friends or something.”

“I want you to do it,” Blake said, finally looking up at Luke. “You’re good at Judo and a lightweight. You’ll know how to handle his body better.”

“Jason trains a lot of lightweights,” Luke pointed out. “I swear to god, Blake if you give him to me, I’m gonna make him unfuckable for anyone!”

Adam swallowed.

Blake sighed. “Fine. Jason will teach him Judo, but you’re taking him running. Just for a couple of weeks.”

Luke set his jaw. “I can do running.”

Blake then glanced over at Jason again. “You’ll take him lifting.”

“Sure!” Jason was smiling at Adam. “I can take Edwards too, if he would like that? He’s a sweet kid.”

“You’d do that?” Adam couldn’t help the joy he felt when Jason offered that.

Jason nodded. “Of course! I’ll make sure to talk to him tomorrow.”

“God, you’re an angel!”

Jason laughed.

Adam was actually relieved that Jason was the one who was going to teach him some Judo. He was sweet. Adam knew he was going to go easy on him, he always was.

He couldn’t wait.

 

~~******** ~~

 

Adam woke up late that night to a loud gasp. He didn’t have to see to know that it was Blake anymore. He just stayed in the dark for a couple of seconds, waiting for Blake to get up, turn on the light and confirm Adam’s assumption. When the light was on, Adam looked at Blake’s bed. He found the older man sitting at the edge, hands grabbing his head like he was begging some thoughts to get out of his head, eyes closed and eyebrows crossed.

Adam couldn’t just watch him anymore. Slowly, he pushed the set of blankets away and got up. Blake’s ear picked up on the ruffles of the fabric of the sheets and looked in Adam’s direction.

Adam walked to him carefully and sat next to him on the bed. “Are you okay?” Adam asked, looking up at his blue eyes.

The country man was soaked in sweat, tense. “Go back to sleep,” Blake said as he got up.

Adam stood up too and held his hand.

“Adam, just go to bed. I’m fine.”

Adam didn’t believe him one bit. His hand was shaking. Adam stepped closer and hugged Blake. “You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong. Just let me hold you.”

Blake’s body was like a wooden board, muscles tense and body trembling. Adam hugged him tighter, caressing his hair and down to the back of his neck.

Blake took a few minutes to react, but then it was all but hugging Adam back. His strong arms held on to Adam like a child. It broke Adam’s heart and he hugged Blake tighter, if that was possible. “It’s going to be okay,” Adam said, stroking Blake’s hair. “You’re okay. Everything is going to be just fine!” Adam held Blake’s face and kissed him on the lips, on the cheek, and on the forehead. “It’s going to be fine,” he reassured. “Let’s go to bed, okay? I’ll sleep with you tonight.”

Blake didn’t complain, and just followed Adam to the bed, where they both lay down next to each other. They cuddled closely, with Adam’s arms all over the older man, hands rubbing on his arms and back. Adam didn’t go to sleep until he was sure Blake was already in deep sleep. He took one look at his face, kissed him and turned off the lights.

 

~~******** ~~

 

After what Luke and Jason did to the men who bothered Ed, everyone figured that they could get some credit from Blake by being Adam’s friend. A lot of people started being friendly with him. They didn’t avoid him as much, but rather greeted him in the morning and at the laundry room. Adam sometimes sat with Blake at their table. Other times he sat with Ed at a nearby table. CeeLo began to join them more often, ditching his old group. He said that he’d never liked them so much, that they were junkies and were usually high during the day.

Adam was happy CeeLo joined them, especially since he did actually like the guy. He was a good man, regardless of his crime, for which he’d served enough time in prison. Adam believed in second chances, and CeeLo clearly redeemed himself. Another man called Flynn joined them a while later. He was Ed’s cellmate, a real gentleman and a music lover. He would tap on the table as if he was playing drums as CeeLo sang for the table. He had good ears for tunes. That was Adam’s little group. The four of them would sit together most of the time at the table next to Blake’s. That way Adam could still be close to Blake.

The first two weeks of August went by with Adam hating himself for agreeing to get trained. Luke and Jason made sure he did all his workouts every day. Luke would take Adam running three days a week. Jason took Adam lifting twice a week.

When Blake said that he was running with Luke, Adam was expecting it to be like the jogging he did sometimes on the beach. But it was nothing like the running on the beach. On the beach he could have rested any time he wanted, gotten into the water to cool off or even changed his plans to talk to some pretty ladies. Luke was a hardcore runner. He never stopped, and never let Adam rest. Adam would end up with cramps.

Adam had never been to the excise yard, or, as prisoners called it, the gym. The prison only allowed the prisoners with high credits in there, and it was only twice a week. Not all inmates were permitted near the exercise yard, only the ones with good behavior and inmates with no violence records. It was probably because of all the heavy weights and steel bars, which could be used as weapons in the wrong hands.

The yard was not anything fancy really. It was just a few square yards that had weight plates chained to the concrete wall, pull-up bars, tiers, and boxing sandbags. Since Adam agreed to being trained, Jason brought him only when the yard was unoccupied, which was a relief. He didn’t want anyone to see his embarrassing muscle strength.

Jason was easy on him. He would always spot him when lifting, count Adam’s pushups and pull-ups, and anchor Adam’s feet during sit-ups. He was always encouraging, and would never let Adam miss one count, or a work out. That gave them something to talk about when they were bored out of their heads in the cell, which didn’t exactly amuse Luke. He hated Adam’s innocent occupancy of Jason’s time. It was always just Adam and Jason at that yard, working out.

One day, Adam and Jason went to the yard like they usually did, with two bottles of water and two towels. The guards dropped them off and closed the door behind them. To Adam’s surprise, he found someone else was there. Blake. He was sitting on a bench next to the weights, wrapping his hand with white bandage. Blake had never joined their workouts, or showed any interest in the progress Adam was making in his training. So it was kind of exciting to see him there.

“Hey,” Jason said as they walked towards Blake.

The country man looked up at them both, but focused on Adam.

Adam smiled.

“You missed your workout yesterday, didn’t you?” Jason asked.

Blake nodded. “I had a headache.”

“Maybe you should slow down today, too,” Jason said. He stopped at the end of the bench Blake was sitting on. “You overdid it last week.”

“I’m fine,” Blake said as he continued to wrap his hand.

Jason sighed. “That’s not healthy, Blake,” he said before looking at Adam. “Why don’t you help Adam today?” Jason said, patting on Adam’s shoulder.

“I don’t need distractions.”

Adam frowned. It wasn’t like he was expecting rainbows and butterflies coming out of Blake’s mouth, but still he was hoping Blake would be at least willing to help out.

“He’s not a distraction,” Jason defended.

“Thank you,” Adam said, still frowning at Blake.

“Just help him out for today,” Jason said. “He’s pretty fun to work out with. Besides, I have a sore neck, so I’d like to get some rest.”

Blake looked at Adam for a second, and then nodded. “Fine. Ask someone to bring water. My mouth is a little dry.”

“Just take mine.” Jason gave Blake the bottle and the towel. “I’ll see you later then.”

Blake nodded and took what Jason offered. He opened the bottle and took a sip. Then, he put the bottle on the floor.

“Go easy on him.” Jason said as he walked towards the door. Blake didn’t respond.

When Jason left, awkward silence filled the space between Blake and Adam. Blake continued to wrap his hands in that bandage as Adam stood there like a child waiting for instruction. A part of him was beyond excited to work out with Blake, but the other part was worried that Blake was tougher than Jason.

“Are your hands hurt?” Adam asked as he sat down next to Blake.

The country man looked at him for a mere second and shook his head no. “My hands get sweaty,” Blake said. “This won’t let them slip.”

“Do you want me to help you with the other hand?”

Blake clipped the bandage before he gave Adam the other roll. Adam bit his lips, got closer and held Blake’s hand. It was big and warm. Adam started wrapping the bandage around Blake’s hand, making sure to cover most of the palm. They glanced at each other a couple of times, and Adam smiled silly every time. When he was done, he kept Blake’s hand in his for a while, threading the fingers together, and looked at the country man. “All done,” he announced. “So, what are we doing today?”

“Pressing. You’re spotting me,” Blake said as he started undoing the buttons of his shirt. Adam watched with his teeth digging in his bottom lip. “You can do it, right?”

Adam was distracted, watching Blake stripping off his shirt. “What? Oh. How heavy do you go for?”

Blake pointed at the weights already at the ends of the bar. They looked like too much. “I guess I can do it,” Adam said.

Blake nodded, took off his shirt and stayed in his tank top. Adam’s eyes fell on the big biceps, the veins around them, the scars, and couldn’t help but wanting to touch.

“C’mon,” Blake said as he lied down on his back on top of the leather bench. His feet stayed flat on the floor, one on each side. Adam got up and stood at Blake’s head. Blake grabbed the bar tight and took a deep breath. Adam helped him take it off of the racks. It was damn heavy, but Adam managed to lift it with his partner. Blake’s arm muscles immediately bulged in response to the weight, and his shirt pulled up a little showing two perfect chiseled hip lines.

Adam licked his lips. A dirty idea loomed into his brain, but he pushed it away. He needed to focus. Blake lifted the weights up and brought them down to his chest and then up again. He did a set of eight presses before he was ready to take 60 seconds to rest. He repeated that seven times. Between each round there was a 60 second break. Adam would help him get the weights up and put them down, while he watched in between.

“How much is that?” Adam asked during Blake’s 60 second break.

“About a 180 lbs.,” Blake said, curling his fingers around the bar again. That was a little over Adam’s weight. “This will be the last round.”

Blake was sweating already, at the forehead, the neck, the chest. Adam watched him closely, keeping his hands ready to rescue if Blake showed any sign of struggle. After he was done, Blake sat up and dried his face and took a big swig from his water.

Adam gave him some time to cool off then asked, “So, what’s next?”

“Pull ups. You’ll do that.”

Adam nodded. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and took it off like he would a t-shirt. He left it with Blake’s shirt next to the weights. They walked to one of the pull-up bars. It was made of steel and so high Adam usually jumped to reach it. Adam stood under the bar and held his arms up. He was ready to jump, when Blake’s hands went to his waist and around it.

Adam smiled a little amused and put his arms around Blake’s neck. “What’s up?”

Blake sighed. “Focus?”

“You’re the one who started it!”

“I’m helping you reach the bar,” Blake pointed out. Adam rolled his eyes. “I’ll give you a lift.”

“You’re no fun, you know,” Adam said.

Blake didn’t respond and simply lifted him until Adam’s hands reached the bar. Then he let him go. “Three rounds of fifteen.”

Adam frowned. “Jason makes me do only ten for two rounds!”

“Well, Jason ain’t here today, is he?” Blake said firmly. “Now start!”

Adam huffed at him but said nothing. He stiffened his arms and pulled himself up and went down. It was easy at first, it always was. But around the end of the first round, his arms started to get tired. Blake helped him down for his 60-second break, and then he lifted Adam up again. Adam powered through it and was able to finish the second round. After his second break, he started the third round. He managed to do eight more pull ups relatively easily. After that his arms started to shake every time he tried to pull his weight up. He started panting, and just stopped moving for a while.

“You can’t stop,” Blake instructed. “Five more.”

“Blake…”

“Don’t be a baby! Five more!”

Adam squeezed his eyes and pulled himself up one more time, then a second, face hot and sweat dripping from his eyebrows. He opened his eyes and looked at Blake. Then he pulled up one more time. “My arms are literally going to snap off!”

“Two more,” Blake ordered. “You can do it, come on!”

Adam grunted. He almost rebelled and stormed out the door. But he didn’t want to give up. He was not that kind of guy. So, he did as Blake instructed and gave him two more pull ups. Blake immediately put his arms around his waist and carried most of his weight as Adam let go of the bar. Adam’s arms relaxed around Blake as the tall man put him down.

Adam was frowning at Blake a little annoyed. “I fucking hate you.”

“I don’t care,” Blake said as he stepped away. “Now sit-ups, I’ll hold your feet.”

Adam nodded, sat down on the floor and bent his legs in front of him. At first, Adam had hated doing it on the ground, but he did it so many times since then that he didn’t care anymore. Blake kneeled at Adam’s feet and grabbed his ankles. Blake gave him one minute to adjust on his back then said, “Five rounds of fifteen.”

“I hate you.”

Adam did the first few sit-ups easily. He would lay on the ground and sit up, feeling all his abdominal and back muscles clench. It was not a bad exercise, but it put so much strain on his back. He did the first two round fast. But by the end of the second round, he started to get distracted. Every time he sat up, he got closer to Blake’s face. Every time, their faces were so close. Adam would have this urge to just stop for a second and steal a kiss from Captain Ice. But he never did. He just tried his best and focused on his workout. As soon as Adam finished the third round, he couldn’t get up anymore.

“Adam? You still have two rounds.”

Adam grunted. “I need a break! Jason would let me take breaks.”

Blake grimaced. “Your break is over. Get up!”

“Stop yelling at me!” Adam looked at Blake and grunted. Rebelliously, he sat up, grabbed Blake’s face in his hands and stole the kiss he wanted. Blake looked at him with surprise in his eyes but didn’t say anything. Adam did another sit-up and again kissed Blake. “I need the right encouragement, Big Country!” He stayed up for a few moments looking at Blake.

“Is that what you do with Jason when you work out?”

Adam crooked his eyes at Blake but continued with his sit ups. “I’m offended you’d actually think that.” He sat up. Blake gave him a kiss. Adam smiled as he lay back down. “I don’t sleep with men, stupid.” Kiss. “Only you.”

Blake didn’t comment, and just kissed Adam every time he sat up. Adam finished the third round faster this time, barely complaining about his back. Then during his 60-second break, they started a brief session of making out. Blake’s tongue went straight to Adam’s mouth and licked around, drawing a loud moan out of their throats. Adam smiled into him and held Blake’s face and kissed back with almost the same intensity. It felt nice, but sadly, didn’t last for long. Blake’s stupid internal clock broke them off. “Last round,” Blake said, suddenly.

Adam tried to kiss him again, but Blake pulled away fast and repeated his order. Adam huffed at him, but did as he was asked. The fifth round was almost as bad as torture. His back started hurting again, and so did his neck. Blake refused to give him more kisses to distract him from the aching muscles, and only counted for him.

“Alright, fifteen,” Blake said as he let go of Adam’s ankles.

Adam stayed on the ground, arms splayed wide to his side. He was panting with his mouth open, chest rising and falling with shallow breathing. Suddenly, Blake was on top of him but not pressed against him. He was supporting his weight on his flat hands and toes. He looked like he was getting ready for some pushups. Adam smiled wide and looked at his face.

Blake pressed down until their chests touched a little, and then he pushed up again. He kept doing that for a while as Adam counted for him silently. Adam would put small kisses on Blake’s mouth every now and then, sometimes on his chin or cheek. Blake wouldn’t say anything, but did kiss back. Adam lost count at thirty-something, but he was sure Blake did so many more. Adam only focused on Blake’s lips, the smile in his eyes, his breathing.

Blake then held his weight in a blank position. He stayed in his position for about sixty seconds, eyes closed. His sweat was beading on his forehead and face. His hair was hanging down, a little wet with sweat. He was an image of perfection. Adam reached up and felt his cheek. It was hot, wet with sweat. They kissed and it put a big smile on Adam’s lips.

When Blake was done, he got up on his knees and sat down on his heels next to Adam. After that they both got up. Adam put his arms around Blake’s waist and looked up at his face with a big smile. They stayed quiet for a few seconds just looking at each other.

“So…” Adam started, playfully. “What’s next?

Blake put his arms around Adam too, and shook his head. “I’m never working out with you again. This isn’t going to work.”

Adam frowned. “Why not? I thought this went very well.”

Blake sighed, and pulled Adam into him tighter. Adam’s eyes went wide when he felt Blake’s hard on pressing against him. He blushed. “That’s not my fault,” Adam said, putting his forehead on Blake’s chest. “You have little control!”

Blake’s hands slid down to Adam’s ass and grabbed tight. Adam looked at Blake and shook his head, no. “Not here. We’re in public, someone might be watching.”

Blake leaned over and kissed Adam’s neck. “No one watches me.”

Adam put his hands on Blake’s chest to keep him away. “You said you won’t force me anymore! You promised!”

Adam felt Blake’s jaw clench on his cheek.

“Please! Not here.”

For a second, he thought Blake was going to ignore his plea and keep going, especially now that his lips had started kissing Adam’s neck and ear. But then, his hands left Adam’s ass and slid all the way up to his back. Adam smiled and hugged Blake. “We can do it tonight. Okay?”

Blake just hugged him back.

Adam smiled. At least he now knew that Blake was a man of his word.

 

  
**~~****~~**

 

Although Blake was never really around during Adam’s hectic workouts after that day, he was there during the night. As tired as Adam was, he always found the energy for Blake. They had sex almost every day, and at all times. At night and at afternoon, when they were alone and when they weren’t, when they were tired or well rested. It didn’t matter. Adam’s mood was getting better, too. Maybe because of exercising. He’d heard that working out got rid of negative feelings.

Things started to fall into place.

One day, at the laundry room, a guard called his name. At first, he thought Blake was asking for him. So, he left what was in his hand and walked to the guard. The uniformed man just asked Adam to follow him. Adam did. They did not go to their cell. Instead, he was guided to the library.

A man in a uniform was standing at the door. When he saw Adam, he took off his hat and put it under his arm. “Adam Levine?” he asked in a serious tone.

Adam nodded. “Yes, sir. Is everything okay?”

The man smiled, reassuring. “Yes. I learned that you have a degree in marketing, right?”

Adam nodded. “Y-yes, sir. Am I in trouble?”

“No, Adam, not at all. We’re gathering inmates with degrees in business and marketing around here for a chance to get a more decent job,” the man explained. “You have a chance to work for Rees Corporation as a marketing agent/salesman. If you’re interested, you can apply today. You will be provided with brief training to teach you about the company and what we are selling. Then, you are to start immediately.”

Adam’s heart started beating fast, his lips hanging open. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You mean, like, I’m gonna sell stuff?”

“Yes,” the man said, still smiling. “It will be online, of course, and you will be monitored by our supervisors. You’ll get paid $50$ a week and that is changeable. The more you sell, keep clients and have customers pleased, the more you’re getting paid.”

Adam understood that the company was probably looking for some cheap workers, but he did not care. He could be a salesman again, how could he have said no? “Yes, I will do it! I want to do it!”

The man then asked someone to take Adam’s name and sign him up. Adam found out that they needed only ten employees, and Adam was the tenth. How lucky was that?

The man took Adam to the back of the library where ten laptops were set on a long table. Adam saw nine men sitting there. He recognized some of them. He’d seen them around the prison, but the others he didn’t know. The man showed Adam his chair, and asked him to sit down.

A few minutes later, a man came from around the corner, dressed in a black suit. His name was Usher. After introducing himself, he gave the ten chosen men huge catalogues. When Adam opened it, he found that it was filled with different weapons, like bows, knives, arrows, and shotguns.

Usher explained that Rees Corporation specialized in selling and manufacturing weapons. He said the company had been selling hunting gear since the fifties, and that it was exactly what the ten inmates were expected to sell.

Adam didn’t know anything about weapons, which got him fidgeting in his place. How was he supposed to sell something that he didn’t know about? He should have asked first, before making such huge decision. However, he was not the one to back away from a challenge.

Adam kept staring at the catalogue Usher allowed them to have all day long. He read the descriptions, but never really understood what the hell it meant. How the hell was he supposed to sell a damn knife? He looked at Blake, who was reading. Adam rose on his feet and walked to Blake. Without a word, he got under the covers and sat in front of Blake, resting his back on his chest.

Blake didn’t object and just put his arms around Adam as he continued reading.

“Do you know anything about weapons?” Adam said, still shuffling through the pages. “This new job I told you about? They want me to sell weapons. I don’t even know what they do!”

Luke and Jason only glanced at Adam once, but said nothing.

Blake put his book aside. “What do you need?” He took the catalogue from Adam’s hand and opened the first page. “You never hunt?”

“No. I like animals.”

Blake sighed, pointing at the knife. “That’s a machete, or you can call it a knife. It’s designed to cut through anything. It has Corrosion-resistant 1050 steel blade.  
The handle is slip-proof, made of snake’s leather.”

Adam turned his head to look at Blake, a little surprised. “You hunt?”

“Yeah,” Blake said, looking at Adam in the eyes. “I’m not much of an animal lover like you.”

Adam smiled and pressed a kiss on Blake’s lips. “Can you help me? I’ll pay for the service later!”

“I can,” Blake whispered, before planting a soft kiss on Adam’s ear. “But that will take too much time. I’ll just walk you through some items.”

Adam nodded. “Okay.” Adam didn’t care. He just needed a catch about some item, so he would know what to do that next day.

Blake started shuffling through the pages, stopping at a few weapons to explain what they were made off and what they did. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about, which was a little sexy, if you overlooked the fact that he was technically talking about killing animals. He was a man’s man, the kind of men that hunted all season and ate their prey, or stood by the barbeque all day, drinking beer.

By the end of the catalogue, Adam was already horny and hard. He took the catalogue away from Blake’s hand and started kissing the other man. Blake kissed him back.

There was no way Adam was going to resist that.

  
**~~****~~**

 

The third week in August was not easy in terms of his new career. He was still clumsy, not sure of what to do, or how. He didn’t make any sales the first week. Even though it was expected, he still got frustrated. He figured people could tell that he did not know anything about what he was selling, and he really didn’t. Blake explained to him a couple of times more, but after that refused to help any more.

Adam also struggled with how the whole online market worked. He was used to meeting people face to face, looking them in the eyes as he told them about a car. Now, there was this barrier between them, which not only made him feel uncomfortable, but also old.

The second week rolled in, and Adam finally managed to sell something – a folding knife. It reminded him when he sold his first car ever, the pride he took in himself, the smile that refused to leave his lips, and the boost of confidence. The week passed and he managed to sell another item, a bow and a set of arrows. When he did, he felt like he’d open the door of knowledge. He finally found out how to increase sales. It was all about finding people, not waiting for them to find him. He looked up for sites that were interested in hunting and contacted their administrators, telling them about what he was selling. He chose not to stick with the description in the catalogue and decided to use more of Blake’s wording. He was thrilled when some of them replied, telling him that they liked some of the things and that they would love to make a purchase. Adam referred them to the online store through his page, which had a counter on the top to count all the buyers coming through Adam’s page.

By the beginning of September, Adam had over 14 completed sales, and 2 repeat buyers, and 10 five-star reviews. It was not much, but Adam was over the moon with the reviews. They were all positive and no one complained about him. Usher was impressed too, and gave Adam a pat on the shoulder.

“That’s amazing, buddy!” Those were Usher’s words.

Adam’s life outside the library was getting better, too. Jason started teaching him the self-defense moves. They started easy and escalated slowly. Jason was nice to him and always gave him time to adjust to every move. Ed had joined them, and was a more willing learner than Adam. He was fast to learning new moves, which made Adam feel old. But he liked the time he spent with these two.

There was not much change in his relationship with Blake. Sometimes, Blake would wake up in the middle of the night to nightmares, and Adam would stay with him all night, trying to comfort him. Blake no longer tried to resist him and learned to just accept Adam’s hugs and kisses.

Adam was getting closer to Behati, though. She still brought him photos from the outside, and Adam hung all of them on the wall next to his bed. She baked him some cookies once and managed to get them in the prison. They were perfect. She gave him the rest to give to his friends. Luke and Jason were actually happy with them, but Blake hated sweet things.

Who hates sweets?

Adam liked the Sundays because of Behati. It became his favorite day of the week. He was not sure if he was actually attracted to her or not. He was sure seeing some changes in the way she looked at him, the way she talked and the way she touched him. He didn’t want to think of the possibility. A part of him was happy she felt comfortable with him, but the other was actually freaking out.

It was the second Sunday in September. The group was getting ready to leave. Behati quickly gave Adam the photo she brought for that week. It was a photo of her new car.

He was staring at the photo and smiling, thinking that he was glad she took his advice because the red Jaguar looked sick. Suddenly, soft lips were pressed on his cheek. He looked at her and saw her cheeks were red. He couldn’t move, or say anything. The first thing he thought of was if it was legal for her to kiss him like that?

Behati leaned over and kissed him on the lips. When he didn’t move or say anything, she probably thought he was okay with it. Adam just froze in his place, not sure what to do or say.

“Read what’s on the back,” she said, before she walked away.

It all happened too fast and Adam’s mind could not process the information with the same speed. Finally, Adam turned the photo around and found that Behati wrote something at the back.

“I like you, a lot. I know this is crazy, but I do.”

All Adam could think about at that moment was “Shit!” No wonder she didn’t give him the photo at the beginning like she always did. That would have been a hell of an awkward conversation.

Suddenly, Adam looked up. He remembered that Blake was sitting a few feet from where the group usually sat. Shit, he probably saw her kissing him! Adam looked back over his shoulder and saw Blake sitting in his place, reading like usual. There was nothing strange about him. He probably did not see anything. It all happened too quickly anyway.

 

~~******** ~~

 

That night, Adam and Blake were in bed, lying next to each other after some hot sex. Adam was not exactly in the mood for sex, but did it anyway to give his brain some rest. He’d been overthinking a lot of things. He had Behati’s feelings to consider, the nature of his own feelings for her, and the confusion about his sexuality. He couldn’t put himself in the straight category anymore. A straight man would have celebrated the love confession, not let man twice his size fuck sanity out of his brain.

“You can go out with her,” Blake said as if he could hear Adam’s thoughts.

Adam’s heart skipped a beat. He looked at Blake, a little surprised.

“That girl from the Sunday group,” Blake clarified.

Adam stayed quiet for a few seconds, not sure if Blake was serious. “Wouldn’t you mind?”

“No, you can have a girlfriend. I would very much mind, however, if you fucked some kind of prostitute or another inmate. But I’m okay with you having a steady relationship.”

Adam felt disappointed and relieved at the same time. He wasn’t expecting Blake to be so okay with it. He was not sure if he liked Behati in the same way or not, but he’d always believed that men and women could not be just friends. So, the attraction he’d been feeling towards her must have been love, right?

“Where does that put us?” Adam asked, slipping an arm to Blake’s body to hug him closer.

“You’re still mine.” Adam smiled at that comment. “What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her.” Blake hugged Adam too. “You have some ‘straight’ left in you, right?”

Adam chuckled. “Yeah.”

“Okay, then,” Blake whispered. “It’s settled.”

  
~~********~~

  
The week passed too fast, and Adam still didn’t know what to do or how he felt about Behati. A part of him wanted to tell her that he liked her too, but the other kept questioning. Blake didn’t do anything that week, which Adam appreciated. He needed his head clear for some thinking.

Finally, Sunday came and the art group set everything up in the backyard. Adam took a chair at one table and looked at the empty paper for a long while. A few minutes later, he saw Behati walking towards him with a careful smile, and all he could think about was “Oh, boy!”

She was in her usual uniform, the baby blue t-shirt and white pants, but she left her hair straight and over her shoulder this time. “Hey,” she said as she stood at the other end of the table. “May I sit down?”

She was perfect. Adam didn’t know why he was questioning this. “Of course!” Adam pulled out a chair for her. She smiled big and sat down.

It got awkward for some time. Adam had no clue what to say, or where to start. She didn’t seem like she was going to say anything soon.

“Urm, how’s you–” Adam said, interrupting her “About last week.”

Adam’s eyes widened. “Oh! Please, go ahead.”

She fixed her hair behind her right ear. “About last week,” she repeated, bringing her hands together. “I realized that it was a little childish to just throw my feelings at you like that. So, I understand if you…” she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. “I’m totally okay with us being good friends.”

He doubted that she was. “I like you,” Adam started, a little careful with his tone. “But I’m locked up. How is this even going to work?”

“You’re going to get out,” Behati said, shrugging. “I’m still trying to get your case reopened, Adam. You can’t stop thinking ahead just because you’re locked up!”

“I am not going to get out, Behati,” Adam said, bowing his head and looking at the paper on the table. “It won’t happen. I realized that the less expectations you have, the better. I don’t want to hurt you with me.”

“Why are you saying that?” Behati asked, getting her chair closer to him. “Good things happen every day, Adam, why can’t you see that? Didn’t you have a new job here as a marketing agent? Do you know how rare that opportunity is? Companies like Rees, or any company for the matter, don’t just take risks like that with prisoners!”

Adam looked at her, his eyes searching for hers.

“We can happen, too. I mean, we can have a date every Sunday.” Adam smiled, so she continued. “We talk about things that we like, I can cook for you, maybe I’ll even pay you a couple of visits in a very private room, where it’s just us.” She was being flirty now, that she got Adam’s attention. “Also, I can get Jesse and Mickey to join this group if you want to see them.” She winked.

Adam smiled. “You’re bribing me?” Their faces were close now.

“I may be,” Behati said. The most playful smile on her lips made Adam get his face closer. “I promised myself to do anything I can to get you.”

They kissed once. Her lips were so soft and juicy. It was different from kissing Blake. Blake was gentle with his kisses, but his lips were as rough as a man’s lips could be.

Behati held Adam’s hand and locked it in between her own. “It’s weird,” Behati said, looking around. “Usually, the guards yell when someone gets too close to a prisoner. I guess you’re, like, special here.”

Adam sucked in a deep breath. He couldn’t tell her what he had to do to get this sort of treatment. He looked around, searching for Blake, but couldn’t find him at his place.

“Is everything okay?” Behati asked, looking around with Adam, trying to locate what he was looking for. “You’re looking for something?”

Adam shook his head no. “No, nothing.”

Behati smiled, and let go of his hand. “Okay, bruh, let’s start,” she said, giving Adam a pencil.

“Bruh?” Adam said, laughing a little. “Really?”

“I know! It’s stupid. It just came out. Never mind that.”

“No, it’s cute.” He meant it. “You’re cute. I’d love to be with you.”


	13. Chapter 13

Adam’s hair was getting longer. He’d only cut it three times since he came to the prison. Then the guy that cut it for him was released and Adam didn’t trust anyone else with his hair. At first it was fine. Adam left it as it was and went on with his life. But it grew too long, getting in his eyes a lot, sometimes in Blake’s mouth. So, Adam decided to have it trimmed it.

He asked Jason about whom to go to. His hair seemed to be buzzed short all the time, so he must’ve known someone good. Jason agreed to help, and took him to the craft room. It was Adam’s first time there, as well as Ed’s, who had followed the two men, hoping to get a haircut, too. The room was big and had some prisoners gathered in groups. Jason said that they were educational groups, for inmates who wished to have a high school certificate.

Jason called for a guy called Pharrell, and some officers pointed at somewhere behind a wall. The name sounded British, and Adam liked the ring of it. A small black man with a trimmed blonde hair came from around the corner, sleeves rolled up to his shoulders and pants to his ankles. His small eyes looked for the voice calling for him and smiled when they saw Jason.

“They need haircuts,” Jason said, putting an arm around Adam’s shoulders.

“Wow, no helloes?” Pharrell said, folding his arms at his chest. He didn’t wait for Jason’s response and eyed Adam and Ed. “Whose Blake’s stuff?”

Adam grimaced. “I’m not anyone’s property, buddy,” he said, earning him a couple of looks.

Pharrell eyed at Adam up and down, looking surprised, if not shocked. “Him? Are you serious? He doesn’t look like someone Blake would… you know, do.”

Jason chuckled. “That’s Adam.”

An “oh” slipped Pharrell as the name obviously rang a bell in his head. “Oh, yeah, I heard of you. You’re trouble.” Pharrell sighed, and looked at Ed. “Now that looks more like someone Blake would fuck.”

“I’m Ed.” The redhead offered his hand to Pharrell.

“Yeah, whatever,” Pharrell said, turning to Jason. “I’m gonna do it, but you need to pay, sweetheart, and I ain’t cheap. You know that. I didn’t get a license for nothing.”

“I’ll pay, but after you’re done,” Jason said. “Make sure you don’t fuck him up.” He patted on Adam’s shoulder.

“You know me,” Pharrell said.

“Yeah, that’s the problem! No crazy colors, no crazy haircuts and no balding! Just give him a short trim.”

Pharrell rolled his eyes. “I know what I’m doing!” he said, gesturing to them to follow him. Jason didn’t join them, and said that he was going to be around. “I cut hair for every officer in this building. You don’t think I can handle his hair?”

Jason didn’t respond to that.

Pharrell guided them to a small room at the back, which had a huge mirror, a long table and a barber’s chair that had a sink right behind it. Adam was surprised to see some sharp tools and scissors on the table.

“Don’t worry, love,” Pharrell said, patting on Adam’s back. “Everything here is authorized. See at the guards outside? They’re here to make sure I don’t kill anyone. Who do you think give them those haircuts?”

“You are an employee here?”

Pharrell nodded. “Kind of. I have been here for fifteen years, but got out on parole two years ago. It was hard to make it on the outside with my record, so I got licensed and came back here as a professional barber. Blake helped me with my license. He doesn’t trust anyone but me with his hair.”

Pharrell asked Ed to hop on first, as he had to think of something to make Adam look more like something Blake would like. After Ed sat down, the guy tied the edges of a black cape around his neck and started cutting, using a small comb to straighten the hair and some scissors. Adam liked the way he worked. It was like he was trying to create a masterpiece, not just a simple haircut.

After Ed’s hair was shorter Pharrell brought out an electric razor, and trimmed down the sides of Ed’s hair. Adam could already tell that it was going to be great, because now, he could focus on Ed’s beautiful round face, his green eyes, and his sharp eyebrows. It was obvious that Pharrell knew what he was going, so Adam decided to trust him.

When Pharell was done with Ed, he asked him to go wait with Jason, because he was going to take longer with Adam.

Ed listened and left. Adam sat down on the chair and Pharrell started trimming his hair. He said something about dying Adam’s hair. Adam didn’t question it, since he witnessed the guy promise Jason to not to use crazy color. In his head, he was expecting Pharrell to darken his hair a bit more, or make it a lighter brown.

He relaxed as the guy did his work. He didn’t know what Pharrell was doing most of the time, since his head was tilted backward, and he could see very little in the mirror. But he could tell that his hair was wrapped in foil. After thirty minutes with those things on his head, Pharrell washed his hair. Almost immediately, he put another dose of paste in and locked the hair in more foil.

Adam had to wait another thirty minutes on that stupid chair. Pharrell was next to him, looking into some kind of magazine. He wasn’t much of a talkative person, so that made the waiting even more boring. By the end, Jason and Ed came in, angry that it was taking too long. Pharrell asked them to sit down because he was going to wash Adam’s hair then.

Pharrell tilted Adam’s head back again and started removing the foil wrappings one by one. A few minutes later, Adam felt the cool water on his scalp, followed by masterful fingers. It relaxed him and he closed his eyes to enjoy the feeling.

“You took too long,” Jason said, sitting down. He looked like he was running out of patience. “It’s been a fucking hour!”

“What were you expecting? I had to bleach his hair before dying it!” Pharrell said, finally washing off the shampoo.

Adam’s eyes snapped open. Bleach what?

The chair was facing away from the mirror, so the first thing Adam had seen when he opened his eyes was the shock on Jason’s and Ed’s faces. Slowly, Adam turned around to see his hair in the mirror. His heart almost stopped. Why was his hear looking like a rotten lemon? For a second, he didn’t even recognize himself!

“Holy shit!” Adam stood up and got too close to the mirror. He was touching his hair like a maniac. “What the fuck did you…?!”

The guards outside came in, alarmed by the sudden movement of Adam towards the sharp equipment. Pharrell calmed them down and told them that Adam was just shocked.

“No… No no no… No!” Adam was in disbelief. His hair was entirely lemony, except the roots, which were still black. Adam was freaking out, not giving the look any chance.

“Blake is gonna kill you!” Jason said, rubbing his face in his hands. “He’s literally going to kill you. You said no crazy colors!”

Pharrell freaked out. “It’s blonde! Blake likes blondes!”

“Yes, but he chose Adam for his face, and guess what! His hair was a part of the fucking deal!” Jason yelled. “Turn it back again!”

“I can’t I don’t have the right dye right now,” Pharrell said. “Who dyes their hair dark brown these days?”

Adam’s heart sank to his feet. “I don’t want this! I look like a fucking drug dealer!”

“We can buzz it all off and wait for it to grow back?” Pharell suggested.

Adam’s heart sank to his feet.

“No, no. Blonde hair is better than no hair at all,” Jason said. Adam was still touching his hair in grief. “Just dry him, so we can leave.”

Adam sat back on the chair, eyes still staring at the disaster on top of his head. As Pharell blow-dried his hair, it started to take another color – frosty blond. At first, Adam was still angry at the look, glowering at it like a dog that had bit him. However, the more he looked at it, the more it grew on him. He was turning his head right and left, feeling himself out a little bit.

Jason was probably thinking the same, because he reached out and put his hand in Adam’s hair. “This? Actually looks better now,” Jason said.

Ed agreed with an excited smile. “Yeah, it’s so cool!” Ed said, touching Adam’s hair too.

Pharrell had restored his proud smile. “I told you I know what I’m doing!”

“You better pray Blake thinks so, too,” Jason said.

“Hey, I don’t need Blake’s approval for this! I actually like it,” Adam protested, feeling his hair. “I don’t care what he thinks.”

“If you want your pretty ass safe around here, you better start caring,” Pharrell said, as he turned off the blow dryer. “Blake doesn’t like change too much. He could easily hate this look and decide that he doesn’t want you anymore.”

Adam rolled his eyes. “He’s not gonna hate it! Even if he did, he’s not that much of a bad guy. He is actually nice.”

Pharrell cocked his head. “Is he talking about the same Blake I know?”

Jason had the same puzzled look on his face. “I think so,” he said, scratching his chin.

Adam chuckled and fixed some stray strand of hair away from his forehead. “It looks good! Thanks, man!”

Pharrell smiled. “You’re very welcome.”

 

~~******** ~~

 

As Adam and Jason walked back to their cell, Adam couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. He knew Blake was never going to let go of him, but still, he could easily hate the color on him. When they retreated to their cell, they found that Luke was on his bed, looking into some playing cards, while Blake was on his bed, reading. Adam’s pulse picked up and his stomach twisted, butterflies fluttering through him.

“Hey,” Luke started, putting the cards down. “Where’s the hell where you? It’s-” The words disappeared in Luke’s mouth when he saw Adam.

Blake didn’t bother to look up. Adam’s heart was in his throat.

“What happened?” Luke mouthed the words without a sound.

“Adam needed a haircut,” Jason said, casually. “His hair was getting longer, so I took him to Pharrell.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Right, his hair is shorter now, how can I miss that?” he said, sarcastically. “It’s so much… shorter. His hair is fucking short now!”

“Can you calm down?” Jason said as he sat down.

Adam just stood there in front of Blake’s bed. “Blake?” Adam’s voice was trembling. When Blake put down his book, Adam literally wanted to run away.

Blake’s eyes went wide, pushing his eyebrows up. He didn’t say anything, only eyed at Adam with what seemed like sheer astonishment.

“What? You don’t like it?” Adam tried to keep it cool, even when he was panicking from the inside, toes curling in his shoes and hands clenching and flexing to his sides.

Blake sat up and held his arm up, gesturing for Adam to step forward. When Adam did, Blake held his hand and pulled him down. Adam sat down, too close to the edge of the bed, and didn’t try to change his position. He held himself on his shaking legs. The country man reached and threaded his fingers through Adam’s hair, and his eyes squinted as if he was thinking. “It’s pretty,” he said, as his hand slid down to Adam’s face.

Adam leaned into his palm and his shoulder relaxed. His heart was still beating fast, enjoying Blake’s touching.

“Next time, tell me first, alright?”

Adam rolled his eyes. “You’re not my mother! I don’t have to tell you anything.”

Blake only smiled.

Adam wanted to get closer to Blake, maybe kiss him. They hadn’t kissed once in two weeks, or even slept in the same bed. A part of Adam was missing him like crazy, but the other part tried to stay loyal to Behati. He’d already accepted her feelings, even if he still hadn’t found his towards her. It seemed like the right choice. In his head, he planned to have sex with Blake only when the inmate asked for him. That way, he would feel less guilty about the whole thing.

Blake went back to his book. “You can go now.”

Adam was disappointed Blake didn’t attempt anything more than that touch, but nodded. Jason and Luke were still around anyway.

 

~~******** ~~

 

“You’re getting better,” Adam heard Luke say. He looked behind him and saw Luke standing. Adam was in position for defense. He’d just stopped five of Luke’s punches. Luke was walking around him slowly, getting ready for another attack. Adam was ready to stop it.

It was Jason’s idea. He wanted a fresh perspective to evaluate the progress Adam was making. That was why he’d asked Luke to throw some punches at Adam to see how Adam was going to respond.

“Your reflexes are faster.” Luke continued with his praises, keeping eye contact as he moved. Luke suddenly stopped in front of Adam and put his hands to his sides. Adam assumed that it was over and did the same.

Suddenly, Luke’s fist was an inch away from Adam’s nose. Adam flinched. His eyes squeezed shut, expecting pain, but there was nothing. He opened his eyes. “You fucking tricked me!” Adam complained, a little grateful Luke didn’t punch him the face.

“Oh, boohoo,” Luke yelled, putting his fist down. “What do you expect will happen when you’re a real fight? Do you think your rival will give you a rest? No! He will break your bones! You have to be always ready. This is not a fucking game!”

Adam didn’t talk back. He knew Luke was right. “You don’t have to yell, you know.”

“With that thick head of yours, I should be talking through a fucking microphone!”

Adam rolled his eyes.

Jason was giggling when he got up. “You’ll be running with Luke tomorrow. After that, you can have a week for yourself.”

Adam grinned. “Thank you!”

Adam went to his bed and sat down, drying the sweat off his face with a clean towel. He looked in Blake’s direction, and found that the country man was still reading. It always amazed Adam how much Blake read per day. Adam would have gone crazy if he ever had to sit down this long for anything really.

It was kind of sexy, though. Blake always looked calmer, eyelids blinking gently and shoulders moving as the events in the book changed. It was like his shoulders had a set of expressions of their own. The genuine peace in his eyes during his reading, the little smile on his lips, the content blissful look on his face. Adam couldn’t help but love all of that. Sometimes, Adam would lose himself staring at the country man, wondering how something could be this beautiful and intimidating at the same time?

Adam felt his heart racing in his chest. It had been over three weeks since he and Blake had sex, which was normal sometimes. Adam used to not mind before, when he hated Blake’s guts. But now that he’d seen a fraction of how gentle this man could be, he hated the very idea of being away from his strong arms. He didn’t like that Blake was able to just go this long away from him, that they had been sleeping in separate beds for three weeks and that Blake didn’t seem to have all these feelings Adam had been feeling, the longing, the want.

Adam’s body was hot, and his stomach flapping. He couldn’t stop thinking about running his tongue all over Blake’s body, tasting every inch of him. The towel on his lips got warmer as his breathing got too shallow for his nose. He wanted Blake to ask for him, to want him like Adam wanted him.

Suddenly, Blake looked up. His eyes went up as if they could feel Adam’s, peering lustfully at him. Adam’s heart pounded in his chest harder. He wanted Blake to call for him, to hear his name past his lips. He could feel everything on his body, the thin material of his t-shirt, the sweat sliding down his neck, the heat rising in his crotch. Just say my name!

“…. Someday, someday.”

Adam heard Jason laughing in the distance. Adam’s body shivered when he realized what he was doing. He was staring. He straightened up and looked away from Blake, leaving the towel on his lap to hide his embarrassing boner. Luke and Jason were talking about something, and laughing together. Adam hoped it was not at him.

“I’m going to sleep.” Adam was flustered as he announced it, voice shaking a little. He looked in Blake’s direction one more time, only to find the man still looking at him, a little smirk in his eyes.

Adam’s eyes snapped away. His heart was beating so fast he could hear it in his ear. Finally, Adam covered himself to the shoulders and tried to sleep, facing away from everyone.

 

**~~****~~ **

  
It was midnight, maybe a little over, and Adam was still up.

He could hear the other three men snoring, Jason louder than all of them. He was feeling restless, fidgeting under the sheet. In other words, he was so horny he couldn’t function as a civilized human being. His hand squeezing down his dick made it worse, because now, he had that image of Blake’s body pressed against him, his hands roaming all over his body.

How much of an asshole was he?

He had a girlfriend, Behati, who actually believed in him, was ready to take a chance with him and was willing to love him even in his messed up situation. Yet his body was begging for a man to fuck the hell out of him!

Adam looked at Blake’s bed, ears perking, still waiting for Blake to call for him, but nothing. He couldn’t sleep.

He let his hand slip under his pants and grabbed his swollen member. Prudently, he started rubbing it, careful with his moans and groans. At some point of his little guilty pleasure, he flipped on his stomach and rose on his knees. His fingers found his asshole and started playing at it. He put one finger in, using his spit to lubricate, and explored that area for a while. He didn’t know what he was doing. He’d never touched there before.

His finger just kept moving in and out, stretching him. It didn’t feel as good as when Blake did it, mostly because he couldn’t find his prostate, and secondly, because Blake’s fingers were much thicker than his own. But the burn around his rim made it for him, and he came within seconds, making a mess in his boxers. It was good, but barely did anything. He was still horny, wanting more. So much more.

In the morning, he stood in front of the sink, brushing his teeth and looking at the small square mirror in front of him, absent minded. He couldn’t believe what he’d done that night. Fingering himself, what was he thinking? Someone could have easily woken up any time last time and seen him, on his knees, shamelessly playing with his ass. Blake could have seen him. Shit.

He was getting frustrated.

In the middle of his scattered thoughts, he noticed that Blake was walking his way, and Adam’s body started tingling again. Blake didn’t give Adam any privacy and just stood behind him to brush his teeth as well. His hand casually sat on Adam’s shoulder as he looked in the mirror as well.

Adam was freaking out from the inside, but tried to keep his face as straight as possible. The space was too small, so there wasn’t much room to move freely. Adam could feel Blake’s body close, and the heat radiating from him. He became like an ice statue, melting away and threatening to fall back.

Blake didn’t look like he had any intention of doing anything, which got Adam more exasperated. So, he decided to just finish first and leave. He bent over to spit the toothpaste from his mouth, causing his ass to press against Blake’s crotch. Adam was mortified and froze in his place for the longest time. He could feel Blake’s cock, pressed against his ass, and it filled his horny brain with all sort of wishes. He considered seducing Blake into fucking him, but he was too turned on to do it gracefully.

“Are you gonna stay like that for long?” Blake asked. His voice was monotone, and didn’t reveal much. But it managed to get Adam straight up and away from him.

“Sorry!” Adam left Blake at the sink and walked out, dying from embarrassment. His face was hot, and his eardrums pounding in sync with his heartbeats.

 

~~******** ~~

 

It had been a few days since that little incident at the sink, and still, no sex. He tried to get Blake’s attention with all means, but with not much luck. Nothing worked. It was like Blake had suddenly lost interest in him. Adam thought maybe his blonde hair was the reason, but Blake said that he liked it, so it couldn’t be that. Unless, he was lying about liking it, which in that case it made sense.

He was starting to think that it was all just a master plan to break Adam down, because that was exactly how he was feeling, like he was dissolving away slowly.

Blake seemed too have much on his mind, though. He was talking with a lot of people around the prison and having too many secret conversations with Luke and Jason that Adam was not allowed to hear. Adam really wanted to believe that Blake was just busy, but couldn’t help the feeling that Blake might have gotten tired of him.

One night, he couldn’t resist anymore. It was too late, maybe around four or something, when he found himself getting out of bed and walking in Blake’s direction. He stopped midway, trying to kick some sense into his brain. There were too many reasons why he didn’t want to go to Blake’s bed. Yet, he ignored all that and continued. He sat down on the edge, and reached over to Blake’s arm.

“Hey, Blake,” Adam whispered, shaking Blake a little. “Hey…”

Suddenly, Blake’s hand was grabbing his arm, and pulling him forwards. It happened too fast, but before he knew it, Adam was on his back, with a gun pointing to his throat. Blake was over him, holding Adam’s arm up over his head.

“Blake! Shit, it’s me,” Adam said, trying not to be too loud. “Please don’t shoot! It’s me!!”

Blake grasped over and opened the lamp on the table, and then looked at Adam. He looked angry, and low-key scary.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he asked, pressing the gun into Adam’s skin. “I was going to kill you.”

“Sorry,” Adam said, a little uncomfortable with the gun. “Could you just keep the gun away? It’s kind of making me nervous.”

“Good,” Blake said. “What do you want?”

Adam licked his lips. “Well, it’s kind of… “

Shit, Adam did not think this through. He was blanking out, not sure how to tell Blake that he was so horny that his brain stopped working.

“What?!" The gun pressed harder on Adam’s neck.

“I want you… I want…” By then Adam couldn’t think of any reason to hide. “I want to have sex.”

Blake looked at him for a while, taken aback, before the pressure from the gun decreased. Then, it started sliding down Adam’s body. “What about your girlfriend?”

“It’s not like we have sex, so…” Adam reached and hooked his fingers under the waistband of Blake’s pants. He licked his lips, looking directly at Blake’s lips.

“I can arrange a conjugal visit for you next Friday,” Blake teased, stopping the gun at Adam’s chest, nudging his left nipple.

“I… I can’t wait,” Adam said, feeling the gun flicking at his nipple. “I want you. Just you. Now.”

Blake put the gun on the table, and used his hand to play with Adam’s nipple. “What do you want me to do with you?”

Adam’s teeth were digging into his bottom lip. “You know what I want.”

Blake smirked, pulling Adam’s tank top away from his left nipple and leaning to suck on it. Adam gasped with a low moan. Blake’s wet tongue was licking slowly at his hard nub. “I don’t know. So, why don’t you sound it out for me?” He paused a moment to talk, but then his mouth started sucking, biting and licking around Adam’s nipple.

Adam’s cock was already hard, hot in his pants. “Please don’t tease me,” Adam said, putting his fingers in Blake’s hair. “I want you. All of you.”

He felt Blake smile on his chest. Adam wished he could see that smile. “Do you want dick in your ass, or mouth?”

Adam nodded. “Yeah.”

“Why don’t you be specific?” Blake left Adam’s nipples and reached for Adam’s cock, grabbing it through the pants in his big hand.

Adam mewled. His head was spinning. “I want both! I want to suck you off, then have your cock inside me! Please!” Now those were words Adam never thought would escape out of his mouth.

Blake was pleased with him and helped Adam out of his tank top. “There’s a condom under my pillow,” Blake said. “Can you get it for me?”

Adam bit his lips, reaching to undo Blake’s pants. “I don’t want one.”

“It’s not for you, it’s for m-” Blake stopped, realizing what Adam meant.

“Not tonight. Is it okay?” Adam looked up at Blake with wanting eyes, begging him to just say yes.

Blake gulped visibly, and nodded once. “Alright.” He sat down with his back to the headboard. “Get up.”

Adam got up on his knees and helped Blake take off his shirt. Blake stopped him and did it himself. Adam licked his lips and did Blake’s pants instead, pushing Blake’s boxers down with one hand and getting Blake’s cock out with the other. His mouth started watering as his hand went up and down Blake’s shaft. He leaned over and started licking at the head, not too careful with the sounds he was making. He was sure Luke and Jason were soundly sleeping.

He put Blake’s cock in his mouth, running his tongue all over the head. He pushed the foreskin back and started sucking, feeling Blake’s cock pulse and swell in his mouth. Adam was living for it, sucking hard and stroking what his mouth couldn’t reach with his hands. The noise that came out of his hungry mouth almost had him crying from shame.

“Take off your pants,” Blake said, a little out of breath.

Adam pulled Blake’s cock out of his mouth and did as he was told, putting on a little show for Blake. He started off by sucking on the balls, and then he licked around the head, slurping every drop of the thick precome that came about the slit. Blake pulled him up for a kiss in the middle of it, and Adam felt his body melt away with Blake in his mouth. After a breathtaking, hungry kiss, Adam was more eager to please Blake. He leaned over and took the whole cock deep down his throat, opening his mouth as far as it could go.

Blake’s breathing was heavier and his hand grabbed tight in Adam’s blond hair, keeping his cock deep in Adam’s tight throat for a couple of seconds, before releasing Adam’s head. Adam pulled out, gasping for air, but not for long. Because soon he was sucking on Blake’s cock again. A minute into this, Adam felt something hard, tapping on his head.

He looked up, letting Blake’s cock slip out of his mouth, leaving a trail of spit on his lips. Blake sucked in a sharp breath when his eyes fell on Adam, and pulled him for another kiss that cleaned Adam’s lips. Adam smiled into his mouth, a little pleased Blake was losing it for him too. Adam looked at Blake’s hand and found that he was holding the bottle of Lube. Adam took it from him.

“Open your ass for me,” Blake said was a smirk on his lips. “Do it like you did it that night.”

Adam looked up at him, a little surprised. “What?”

Blake’s dimples got deeper next to his cheek. “You did it yourself three nights ago. Don’t try and lie to me!”

Adam bit his lips, face burning from shame. “I... I just jerked off!”

Blake chuckled. “Since when do you get up on your knees to jerk off?” Blake smirked.

Adam frowned at him, a little upset Blake knew and still did nothing. “You were up?”

“Your voice woke me up,” Blake admitted. “Now, come on. Let me see.”

Adam was about to die of embarrassment, but did as he was asked. He poured some lube on his fingers. When he went back to sucking on Blake’s cock, his fingers found his asshole and smeared the lube all around and inside.

His first finger went in easily, so Adam added the second immediately. His ass was a little tight but relaxed and slick. He needed to make it ready for Blake’s cock. He moved his fingers in and out, loving the way it burned around his stretched muscles. The sounds from his sloppy asshole made his face hot.

“Your prostate is a little on the downside. It’s a little hard,” Blake instructed. “Can you feel it?”  
Adam looked up at him as he nudged around, lips just pressed against the side of Blake’s cock, not moving. Following Blake’s instruction, Adam’s finger felt something under the tip. When he put pressure on it, his body jumped, and his dick twitched.

“There you go,” Blake said, feeling Adam’s hair. “Feels good?”

Adam nodded. His finger stoked that little nub inside him again and again, making his body shake. His hips writhed over his finger, his eyes welled with tears and cock leaked of precome. After a while, Adam couldn’t take it anymore. He pulled out his fingers from his asshole, and looked at Blake. “I want you now,” Adam said as he looked at Blake. “Now!”

When Blake nodded, Adam got off Blake’s torso and straddled his hips instead. Blake sat up and pulled his tank to over his head and throw it somewhere on the floor. His bare skin had Adam shaking. That ripped body, the hip lines and that brown chest hair got Adam so close to cuming. Adam leaned over and planted a long wet kiss in the middle of Blake’s chest.

They kissed as Blake pressed his cock at Adam’s hole. It was so hot, rubbing at the sensitive skin. Adam buried his face into Blake’s neck, sucking in that beautiful pine smell and kissing him. Blake kept teasing him for a while, before finally pushing the head in.

Adam wanted to scream, but managed to keep his voice down by biting down on Blake’s shoulder. Blake hissed, but did not stop. His cock was now halfway in when he asked Adam to take it from there.

Adam kept his arms around Blake’s shoulders and his face on his neck. He started moving Blake’s cock in and out, keeping half of it out of the game until he got used to the size. It already felt good just like that. The head was brushing against his sensitive prostate, sending waves of pleasure down his body. After his ass got used to the pressure, he pushed himself lower, using Blake’s shoulder to muffle his voice. Blake was obviously not a fan of biting, but surprisingly, did not say anything.

After two-thirds of Blake’s cock was buried deep inside him, Adam let out a low sigh and started moving slowly. It was different from when Blake had a condom on. It was hotter, rougher and more engaging. He could feel Blake’s cock directly on his walls, pulsing as it passed by his prostate to that sweet spot deep inside.

He started moving faster after his hole got used to the size. He lifted himself up and down, moved back and forth and rotated his hips as if he was dancing. Blake grabbed Adam’s hips and controlled the speed, making it slower. Adam didn’t like that, but had no choice. Blake’s hands were strong, pinning him down. They had sex many times before, and Blake always preferred it slow, unlike Adam. Blake let go of Adam’s hips and relaxed again. “Go slow, just like I showed you.”

Adam did as Blake asked a little sulky about it. It was like torture having to wait for each thrust to punch him deep. His knees got weak, and his body started shaking. He looked at Blake, begging him with his eyes.

“God, I’m gonna kill that barber,” Blake said, voice a little husky. His hand gathered Adam’s hair, his face, his everything and drew him closer for a hungry kiss that took Adam’s breath away. “He’s fucking dead!” he whispered close to Adam’s ear, hips thrusting gently up into Adam.

Adam smiled and kissed the side of his neck. “My hair is turning you on?” It was more of a statement than a question.

Adam didn’t need an answer. The way Blake kissed him, touched him and looked at him, was more than enough to let him know that he could ask anything from Blake at that moment and it was going to be granted. So, he asked for what he wanted most. “I want you to fuck me harder,” Adam pleaded, looking deep into Blake’s blue globes. “Faster!”

The muscles on Blake’s neck clenched as he looked at Adam’s face. Quickly, he flipped Adam onto his back and eased in. “Shit,” Adam gasped, wrapping his legs around Blake’s waist.

Blake didn’t waste much time and started fucking Adam the moment they settled down. Adam’s head sank into the pillow, and his body melted down into the soft mattress. His eyes were locked with Blake’s as the big cock fucked into him so hard his body rocked with every thrust. He couldn’t look away, mouth hanging open, letting out silent screams.

Blake leaned over and kissed him. Adam was gasping in his mouth, moaning and begging all together. Blake didn’t say anything, and just did exactly like Adam asked. He fucked Adam hard and fast.

Adam felt it building up inside him. He was too close and he didn’t even touch his dick. He reached over and grabbed his dick and started jerking it off. Blake didn’t give him any room to gather his scattered thoughts or even breathe right. Adam’s cock exploded, shooting ribbons of cum on his stomach and chest. His hips were jolting and ass jerking around Blake’s cock.

“Blake! I can’t…!” He was struggling to find his voice. His mind was slow on the search for words.

Blake didn’t stop thrusting. “I haven’t even cum,” Blake whispered in his ear. “You started this, you finish it!”

Adam wrapped his arms around Blake’s shoulders. It felt weird. It hurt like hell, but at same time, it felt better than anything he’d ever felt. He tried to open himself as much as he could, and felt Blake’s cock slip into another inch of an undiscovered area inside of him. He squealed in his throat. His dick swelled again.

Blake kept fucking him, slow sometimes, and hard other times. Adam’s ass was a sloppy mess, stretched beyond his imagination and slick with lube. He felt like he could go on just like that forever, but also knew that he wanted to make Blake cum.

He clenched his asshole around Blake, massaging the big dick, feeling it pulse inside him. His ass felt good at first, and then it was so numb that he couldn’t tell if he liked it or hated it anymore. Blake was merciless in his movement, fucking Adam’s hole like he wanted to break it, and maybe he did. Adam’s dick was half hard on his stomach, too sensitive still.

The morning light was creeping in from the window, illuminating the cell nicely. The whole place smelled like sex, sweat and Blake’s strong cologne. Blake pulled his dick from Adam’s numb asshole, making Adam moan, and realize that he had been loving Blake’s cock fucking him all along. “Blake…”

Blake did and fucked Adam again. This time, he was a little messy with his movement. The light got stronger around him, hitting Blake’s sweaty body perfectly. Adam watched some sweat drops sliding down Blake’s neck and over his thick pectorals. “Fuck…!” Adam’s cock spurted out a few drops of cum that stayed on Adam’s hips for only a few seconds. Blake leaned over and licked them in his mouth, then brought them to Adam’s mouth.

Adam didn’t mind, and licked Blake’s mouth clean and kissed him deep. It took Blake two more thrusts to finally release a load inside Adam.

They were still kissing when Blake pulled out. Adam’s ass felt so lonely and clenched to keep Blake’s cum inside. Blake lay next to Adam and brought him to his body. They cuddled with Blake’s arms draped around Adam’s smaller build, and Adam’s back pressed against the solid body.

Adam loved every second of that night. It was not just sex. That was pure fucking.

 

~~******** ~~

 

“Hey, Blake!”

Adam heard Luke calling for his friend, but Adam did not have the energy to open his eyes and see what was going on. He could still feel Blake’s body pressed against him. His arms, his breathing, everything was close to Adam.

“What?” Blake rumbled against Adam’s neck. His voice was so deep from sleep.

“You’re not going to wake up? It’s two in the afternoon!”

“I’m tired.”

Jason chuckled in the back. “I bet you are.”

Luke sighed. “Blake, you need to get up. You’re having a visit today, remember?”

Adam felt Blake’s sighing on his neck, and his body rolling away a while after. He got up, pulling his arm out from under Adam. Adam couldn’t help but feel a little lonely.

Jason hissed. “Ooh, that’s a nasty bite! I’ll get something to clean the blood,” he said.

“He needs to stop biting like a starving animal!”

It took Adam a few seconds to remember what had happened. He smiled.

“Can you just stop talking?” Blake asked, sounding angry.

Luke sighed.

A few seconds later, Adam felt a shift in the mattress, when Jason sat down too. They spent a few minutes in silence as Jason cleaned Blake’s wound on his shoulder. Blake hissed a couple of times. Adam felt a little guilty.

Suddenly, Jason spoke. “Did you ask him if he could do it?”

“Hmm? Oh. No.” Blake said. “I don’t want him involved in this. I’ll try and find another way first, if there isn’t? Then I’ll ask him.”

“Okay,” Jason said, not sounding convinced. “All done.”

Blake lay back down on the bed. “Wake me up when she arrives.”

“You have one hour,” Luke said, firm. Adam then heard footsteps walking away from the bed.

Although he wanted to know what they were talking about, he was more excited to have Blake returning to the bed. He rolled on his other side. Blake stared at his face for a couple of seconds before he felt Adam’s face with hand. Adam licked his lips, wanting a kiss. Blake leaned over and gave him exactly that. Adam smiled into his mouth as he got even closer. The taller guy wrapped him in his arms, tucking Adam’s head under his chin.

“You’re warm,” Adam said, hugging Blake. He was tired still, but their feet were touching and dancing under the covers. It made Adam giggle.

“Go back to sleep,” Blake whispered. “I’m tired.”

“Me too!” Adam smiled, put his cheek back on Blake’s chest, and let his spent body take its time to relax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys for not replying to comments. I'm not exactly good at taking compliments. I get all worked up and flustered and most of the time, I don't even know how to respond, so I just keep staring at them for eternity. I guess what I'm trying to say is... Thank you for your kind words. :)


	14. Chapter 14

Something was happening with Blake’s group. They were different, in a way. They talked more often while Adam was away or asleep, and seemed on edge most of the time. Especially Jason. He was angry. Adam had tried to ask, but Jason just told him that he was fine. Adam took him at his word and did not try to push him. Besides, he was busy worrying about something else, or rather, _someone else_.

_Marcos!_

He was a Spanish guy that had been transferred to their prison, at the beginning of new month. He was irritating, to put it in one word. He’d only been around the prison for a couple of weeks, and already was hovering around Blake like an annoying bee.

Adam hated him, not just because he was drop dead gorgeous, but also because how he shamelessly tried to get in Blake’s pants. He was openly gay, and when Adam said openly gay, he meant that he caught the guy blowing some guards at the showers one day.

Marcos was shorter than Adam, fitter and arguably more attractive. He had blue eyes, dirty blond hair and a perfect body. His pants were always tight around his flawless ass, hugging the cheeks perfectly. Marcos managed to turn a lot of heads with that ass. It was the only thing the inmates looked at when Marcos walked across the chow hall, or the yard. Even Blake would follow Marcos around with his eyes, right in front of Adam!

Adam tried to play it cool, even when that little fucker started calling Blake “ _Papi_ ,” which apparently means daddy.

_“How are you doing, papi?”_

_“’Like what you see, papi?”_

_“Good morning, papi!”_

That word made Adam’s blood boil. He was losing his patience with that guy. Whenever Marcos was around, Adam would casually put his arms around Blake and stick closer to him, trying to keep Blake’s attention on him. It would work for a few minutes, but then Marcos would pass by and Blake’s eyes would follow him like a magnet.

Adam heard Luke once, talking to Blake about Marcos. He said that the Spanish guy was exactly Blake’s type, young, blond and cute. It bugged Adam for days. He could now see why people acted all surprised when they found out that Blake chose Adam. He couldn’t help but compare.

Since when had he been this insecure?

Adam hated it so much, and the worse thing was, he couldn’t blame Blake. That guy actually had a nice body, a beautiful face and an outgoing, fun personality. Most importantly, he was willing to follow Blake like a loyal puppy.

One day, they were at the backyard. Blake had just finished a book and was just sitting there looking around. Adam was next to him, his head on his shoulder and arms linked together. Adam could see Marcos in the distance, talking to some guy. Adam was still thinking about what Luke said, angry about it when he felt Blake’s hand holding his.

Adam looked at Blake, a little surprised. Blake said nothing, but his fingers went between Adam’s and held tight. Adam smiled wide and planted a kiss on Blake’s shoulder. He would have loved to kiss Blake on the lips, but he knew how the inmate felt about that. He looked ahead again, feeling slightly better.

A few minutes passed, and Marcos was walking in their direction. Adam’s hand held Blake’s tight as he moved closer. The guy had a shit-eating grin on his lips, and a suggestive look shooting at Blake. Adam knew what Marcos was aiming for. He wanted what Adam had, what Blake provided. Adam couldn’t blame him either. He’d lived among the general population for over month and knew how hard it could be.

“Hey, Papi,” Marcos said, climbing one of the rocks to be level with Blake’s eyes. When Adam heard the nickname, he felt the urge to juts blast the guy in the face. “I heard you like pretty boys. Wanna give it a try with me?”

Adam hated how straight forward he was. His accent was cute, and Adam hated himself for thinking that. He looked at Blake and found him smiling in the guy’s direction. Adam swallowed hard.

“I’ll give you the best head of your life,” Marcos said. He winked as he approached closer. “Come with me.”

Adam couldn’t take it. “Stay away, pal!” he shouted. “He already has someone!”

Blake’s dimples got deeper on his face.

Marcos looked at Adam up and down. “Honey, he can have us both if he wants. I don’t mind fucking you as he fucks my ass!”

Adam huffed. “Maybe, but I happened to know that garbage doesn’t interest him. So, walk away!”

Marcos laughed. “Oh, honey!”

“Stop calling me that!”

Marcos laughed again. Even his laughter was gorgeous, god damn it. “He’s feisty, papi,” he said to Blake. “How can you even have a word in with that?”

Adam was sick of that papi shit, but didn’t comment.

“I’ll come back again, when he’s not around,” Marcos promised with a smirk. “Maybe we can have some alone time?” He winked. With that, Marcos walked away, his perfect bubble butt following him.

Adam looked at Blake and found him staring at Marcos’ butt. Adam pulled away from Blake and punched his arm hard. Blake looked at him and frowned. Adam’s chest was rising up and down in anger. He was both hurt and offended. “What are you looking at?” Adam yelled, frowning. “Are you actually thinking about it?”

“About what?”

“Fucking him!”

Blake looked again at Marcos as he walked away. “You’re shit at blowing, so I may ask him for a little favor some time.”

Adam’s lips dropped. He already knew he was bad at blow jobs, but he was doing his best. “You know I have never done it before!”

Blake nodded and looked at Adam. “Yeah, that’s why I think a gay man would do a better job.”

Adam set his jaw, and looked in Blake’s eyes as if trying to figure out if he was serious. He couldn’t read him. “Is that what you think?”

Blake only looked at him, but said nothing. The look in his eyes changed, but Adam couldn’t read it.

Adam shook his head, disappointed. “Fine!” Adam got up and climbed down the rocks. “Go fuck him, I don’t care!”

“Where are you going?” Blake sighed, catching Adam by the wrist.

Adam jerked his arm away from Blake’s grip and continued on his way. “It’s none of your business.”

Adam just stormed off and away from Blake, stomping the floor. He was heading to the library. It was the only quiet place around the prison. But before he could go anywhere, he heard his name being called.

The officer calling said that he had a visitor.

~~******* ~~

The guards took him away to the main building, where his hands were handcuffed behind his back. Then, he was guided to an elevator, which took them to the fourth floor. Adam was watching carefully, a little worried. He’d never been to this section before, and he knew for sure that this was not where visitors came in contact with the prisoners.

“Where are we going?” Adam asked finally, when the elevator’s door opened.

They walked through a narrow hallway, with two guards behind him and another two in front of him. The hallway was unusually quiet and clean. “You have a visitor.” One of the guards opened the second door to the right for Adam.

Adam walked in, still a little confused. They got into a small area with a desk, where Adam’s cuffs were unlocked and the guards inspected him for sharp metals. After they made sure he wasn’t carrying anything, they told him to ring a bell whenever they were done. Then, they just left. From his place, he could hear that they locked the door, and walked away.

There was another door ahead of him, so he figured that the visitor was behind it. He grabbed the door handle and rotated it, pushing the door open slowly. It led to a small room, painted in rich green and floored with a yellowish white carpet. On the right, he saw Behati, wearing a red dress that stopped at her knees. She had her hair down and falling on her shoulders. She was standing in front of a bed, which was covered in red and grey.

It was when he realized that it was not just an ordinary visit. It was a conjugal visit. He forced himself to swallow, and licked his dry lips.

“Hey,” Behati said, a little nervous. “I’ve got consent for us.”

Adam was still too surprised to answer. He was not expecting her to be serious about him. His heart started beating fast as he closed the door.

“Say something, please? I’m kind of nervous,” Behati admitted, not moving from her place.

Adam blinked a few times. “Urm... You look… absolutely beautiful!” he said, truthfully.

She smiled at him and walked towards him, slowly. She stood in front of him. She was an inch or two shorter, but in her heels, she was taller. She held his hand and licked her lips. “Is it okay to kiss you?”

Adam nodded and reached over to touch her face. It was soft. He couldn’t help but compare it to Blake’s skin. Blake’s skin was rougher, covered in stubble.

That stupid, fucking, sadistic jerk!

She smelled nice too. Flowery. It made him a little self-conscious about his own smell. He hadn’t showered that day. He usually showered right before he went to his cell. Before he could say anything about it, her lips were on his, waiting for him to kiss back. He did. They kissed slow but deep. He could feel her arms go around his neck, and her body pressed against his, shaking. She was so warm. She smiled into the kiss, and then pulled back.

“It’s kind of nice, kissing you in private,” Behati said. She took off her shoes, which made her shorter now. “Without people looking!”

Adam smiled at her and put his arms around her waist. “Well, I liked watching those jealous faces looking at me, kissing the most beautiful girl!”

Behati giggled. “Well, today, I wanna do more than just kissing.”

She started kissing Adam’s face, slowly. Adam’s heart skipped a beat when her lips started going down to his neck. Blake usually bit him there, and he was worried there were marks still left.

“I have been trying to get us a private visit for a while, but...” Behati kissed him again. “They kept saying that it was only for legal spouses! I guess they just felt bad for me at the end.”

Adam’s eyes blinked. This was not what happened, and he knew it. They weren’t just going to feel bad for her. This was not how prison worked. He remembered Blake saying that he could arrange for her to visit, and he started shifting from one foot to the other, a little nervous. Adam was never good at lying, and always crumbled under pressure. His mother always said that it was one of his most “endearing” qualities, but he found it a real pain in the ass.

“Adam?”

He heard her call his name, making him realize that he was lost in his own head. He looked at her, searching for her eyes.

“Are you okay? If you want to wait, it’s okay. I know it’s been a long time for you, so…”

Adam shook his head no. “I just haven’t showered.”

Behati smiled and hummed. “You smell fine to me.”

When Adam pressed his lips and didn’t answer, she sighed. “Well, there’s a shower back there,” she said, looking at a door next to the bed. “I’ll wait.”

Adam nodded, before she kissed him once again. “I’ll be right out.”

Adam walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He stood there in his place for a long time, back pressed against the wooden surface of the door. He was sweating from everywhere, his heart was pounding and his mouth was dry. How was he supposed to do it? He banged his head lightly on the door a couple of times, forgetting that she was on the other side of it.

“Adam, you’re okay?” she asked, knocking on the door.

Adam almost jumped out of his clothes, tripped over the rug, and ended up dropping some bottles off of the sink. “Yeah, sorry! I just fell,” Adam lied, cringing at his own words. He heard Behati laughing and he almost just died of embarrassment.

He opened the shower and stood under it, letting the cool water wash over his anxious body. He could feel his body relaxing a little, and his thoughts calming down, so he decided to stay there for a couple minutes longer than he should have. After he was done, he put on his boxers and pants, which was stupid, because he was going to take them off anyway. He checked the mirror for bite marks or hickeys, and found nothing.

When he got out, he found Behati, sitting on the bed, looking nervous too. He felt bad. She looked like she genuinely wanted him, and there he was, lying to her before they even started.

He sat next to her. The guilt he felt in his heart was translated into a deep kiss that he thought was the least he could do. He slowly got into it, getting that feeling back. The feeling of wanting to please a woman, enjoying the differences between them and embracing her gentle body to him. They got deeper onto the bed and she was straddling his lap, holding his face between her hands. She smelled lovely, tasted like sweet mint and felt so soft. It was nothing like Blake’s rough skin, masculine taste or musky cologne.

Adam’s heart was pounding, but for all the wrong reasons. He was worried he was going to say Blake’s name accidently, worried there were marks somewhere on his neck that he missed when he was looking in the mirror, and worried about starting this relationship with a lie that was as big as this.

Adam got Behati down to her undergarments and started kissing her beautiful, soft body. It was weird feeling normal skin on his lips, not rigid scars and tough healed crust. Adam paused for a few moments, wondering how Blake managed to get so many scars. Then again, with that personality that he had, Adam was surprised he didn’t have more. That idiot. Adam wanted nothing more than punch him at the moment.

“You’re nervous?” Behati asked, breaking the silence and shaking him out of his thoughts. He blinked once, struggling to get back to reality. “Adam?”

“What?” Adam answered after a drawn silence.

“You keep zoning out,” she said, and cupped his cheek. “If you’re not comfortable with this…?”

“I’m fine,” Adam said, forcing a smile on his lips.

She noticed and sat up. Adam sat on his heels, leaning away from her to give her some space. She looked at him for a really long moment, as if trying to figure what was wrong. She held his hand gently and looked deep in his eyes. “Are you gay?”

Adam’s eyes went wide as he looked her in the eyes, both surprised and confused on why she would ask that. “What? N-No! Why would you think I’m gay?”

Behati shrugged. “I heard stuff about you sleeping with an inmate.” She looked a little worried. “I didn’t want to believe, but with the way you keep spacing out, I can’t help but think that these rumors might be true?”

“I was not spacing out!” Adam lied but she interrupted him.

  
“You’re not hard, Adam! Well, at least not anymore.”

Adam looked down and saw his pants were flat. “That doesn’t mean anything. I was focusing on you!”

“Then what did I say a couple of minutes ago?” she asked, directly looking into his eyes.

Adam tried to remember. He remembered hearing her say something, but didn’t know what it was. He was not concentrating. He looked down as if in shame. “I…” He bit his lower lip. “Ugh... I don’t know.”

“I asked you if you’re nervous."

Adam gulped. “No, I’m not nervous.”

Behati sighed and her hand tightened around his. “You know, you really don’t have to lie to me. I can see that there’s something you’re thinking about, and it’s definitely not me. So, if it’s true? It’s best if you just tell me!”

Adam looked at her in the eyes, torn between telling her the truth and continuing with his lie. He didn’t want to lose her. She was an amazing woman and he enjoyed the hours he spent with her every Sunday. Yet, this lie? This lie could potentially ruin everything if it went farther than this.

Adam took a long, deep breath and let it out hard through his nose. He was rubbing his face in his hands, so close to losing his mind. “I’m so sorry.”

Behati didn’t say anything.

“I fucked up,” Adam said, grabbing his hair in his hands. “It’s just all a little confusing to me right now.”

“What is?” Behati asked, gently.

Adam sighed again. “It’s…” he said, looking up at her. He was lost for words, not sure from where to begin to explain or even how to start. “He’s… His name is Blake.”

Behati blinked a couple of times but said nothing.

Adam continued. “I don’t think… I don’t think I’m gay. I still like girls, a lot actually, and I can’t imagine doing it with another guy! _Only him_. I’m just… I like having sex with him.”

He could literally see her heart break right in front of his eyes, and he couldn’t watch it. “I’m so sorry,” he said, wrapping his own arms around himself. “I really like you so much! I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Behati took in a deep breath and let it out easily. “I know.”

She stayed silent for a couple of minutes. He didn’t want to push the conversation further. He was not exactly the kind of guy who knew what to say in situations like these. He could only imagine how hurt she was, and he didn’t want to make it worse by saying the wrong thing.

“Is it serious?” Behati asked, looking at him with anticipation.

Adam closed his eyes and shook his head. “No,” he said, bringing his hands together. “It’s just sex. I don’t think he’s capable of loving anyway.”

Behati pressed her lips. “Does he know about me?” she asked after a few moments in cold silence.

“Yeah.” Adam scratched in his chin. “He’s actually the one that arranged this visit. He’s like the President around here!”

Behati smiled a little. “If he’s okay with it, why aren’t you?”

Adam set his jaw and looked down. “It’s not that I don’t want to be with you, Behati,” Adam admitted. “It’s just… You’re an amazing girl. You’re funny, smart, kind. I’d love nothing but be with you. It’s just the wrong timing for me right now. There’s no guarantee I’m walking out of here, and I’m not the kind of guy who can handle the pressure of being with two people at once.”

“You will get out, Adam,” Behati insisted. “There’s justice still left in this country!”

Adam shook his head, doubtful. “I wouldn’t have been here if there was any justice left like you say,” he said, shoulders hunched forwards in defeat. “I’m not saying that I’m not hopeful, but, I’m really not expecting much. It is what it is, and you have to think of that possibility, too. You have your daughters. You can’t risk their future for anything, not even for me! Do you really want to drag them to this mess around me?”

Behati gulped visibly, eyes squinting as if in pain. “I…” She tried to speak, but she knew Adam was right. He could see it in her eyes. “If you get out, that means you don’t have to be with him, right?”

Adam looked at her and stayed quiet for a couple of moment, thinking. Then, he shrugged. “I guess?”

Behati smiled. “Okay then!” she said, holding his hand again. “Then, if you get out, would you be able to start over with me?”

Adam smiled big. “Yeah, I’d love that.”

Behati held out her arms and wrapped them around him. He hugged her back, peppering kisses on the side of her neck. “I’m so sorry this didn’t go as you planned.”

Behati chuckled. “It’s okay,” she said, caressing his hair. “But you’re gonna have to tell me about him.”

Adam pulled away and looked at her and licked his lips. “Why do you wanna know?”

Behati shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’m curious.”

Adam slid and sat down next to her on the bed, back on the headboard. He tried to put Blake in words, but it was hard to find nice words to describe Blake when he was this angry. “A big idiot. He can’t be nice for five minutes straight. He has to ruin it.”

Behati’s lips parted, probably surprised at the sudden hostility in Adam’s voice.

Adam’s shoulder relaxed as he huffed. “Sorry, he just pisses me off.”

Behati licked her lips and fixed her posture a little. “Not what I was expecting, but, a good start. Keep going.”

Adam sighed and just shrugged. “He’s quiet,” he said, looking at his hands joined together. “He’s really quiet most of the time.”

“What else?”

“He likes to read. He reads more than he smiles or talks.” Adam pursed his lips. “He’s like… I don’t even know.”

“What kind of man doesn’t smile?”

“Apparently, he doesn’t,” Adam said, looking up at the green walls. “He hates his birthday too, and sweets and hugs.”

“Wow, you chose a hell of a man,” Behati joked, smiling a little.

“More like he chose me.”

“Is he the blond guy that always sits by the rocks? The short guy?”

Adam figured that she was talking about Luke, and his face cringed. “Hell no! I don’t even like that guy, and he doesn’t like me. It’s the other guy, the taller one.”

Behati looked like she was trying to remember. “Oh, you mean the one with grey hair?”

Adam nodded.

“He’s kind of sexy, I’ll give him that,” Behati said as she got out of the bed and picked up her dress. “Well, you should have told me, Adam. I wouldn’t have judged!”

“I know,” he said, looking down at his hands. “I guess I just wanted to... I feel like I’m started to lose myself to him. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or bad.”

Behati got up and put on her dress. “If he makes you happy, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. Sexuality is all about connection. Don’t label it. It’s going to be okay.”

Adam nodded. “Yeah, I guess.” He looked at her and smiled. “I am really sorry, Behati. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“Stop apologizing,” she said, sitting on the bed. “I’m glad we had this talk.”

Adam nodded. “Thank you for understanding.”

“You’re welcome.”

 

~~******* ~~

 

It was already 6:30 when Behati and Adam had to go their separate ways. Adam was led back to his cell by two guards. He was actually feeling a little relieved that his little secret was out, and that he no longer had to lie to Behati.

The officers didn’t take him all the way to the third floor, but just showed him to the stairs. So, he had to go alone from there. To his surprise, the door to their cell was half shut. Slowly, he pushed the door open, cringing a little at the creak it made. It was one of the door’s most hated features. A gasp of surprise came from inside as the door opened wider, startling Adam. He stood in his place at the door, and looked at the source of that gasp in shock. His heart almost stopped.

Blake was on the bed with Marcos. The young guy was on his knees on the floor between his legs. They were fully dressed, still, but Adam could guess where that was going. Adam didn’t think Blake was actually serious about Marcos. He thought Blake was just teasing him like he usually did.

He looked in Blake’s eyes for a long moment, feeling betrayed, cheated on, shocked. When Blake opened his mouth to say something, Adam walked to them, stomping the ground.

“Dude, calm down!” Marcos said as he got up on his feet. “Nothing happened.”

Adam already knew that, but he was not an idiot. He could see where this was going and it made his blood boil in his veins. He grabbed Marcos by the collar of his shirt, fist already up in the air, ready to punch the hell out of his face.

“I told you to stay the fuck away,” Adam yelled, as his fist landed on Marcos’ face. The blonde almost fell on the floor, but the table stopped him as he leaned against it, holding his face.

Blake suddenly got up and grabbed Adam’s fists and pulled the younger man to him, locking his enraged body in his arms. “Adam, calm down!”

“Let go of me!” Adam yelled at Blake, trying to break out.

“Leave,” Blake told Marcos.

“What?” Marcos asked, frowning. He looked like he wanted to fight, giving Adam the death look.

“I said leave!”

Marcos complied, still stunned at the ball of anger in Blake’s arms.

After he left, Blake let go of Adam. Adam immediately turned to him and slapped him so hard Blake’s face turned to the side.

“ _Asshole_!” Adam said as he walked away.

He went to the bathroom and just closed the door behind him. His heart was throbbing in pain. He didn’t even know why he was mad. It wasn’t like he and Blake exchanged vows to love each other forever. It was sex. He, himself, was just between Behati’s legs minutes ago. So why the hell was he this hurt?

He stayed in there until the bell rang, and he heard Luke’s and Jason’s voices. He felt pathetic, hiding in the bathroom like a teenage girl. When he came out, Jason noticed his mood instantly, and asked if he was okay. Adam just nodded and went to his bed. Blake watched him for a while, but then went back to his reading.

Adam ended up going to bed earlier than usual. His anger was still eating his heart out.

In the middle of the night, Adam woke up to Blake’s gasp. Blake had another bad dream. Adam wanted to go to him, but was still too mad. He just stayed in his bed and went back to sleep. Meanwhile, Blake got up and washed his face, then returned to his bed and turned on the lamp. A soft light spread, indicating that Blake was going to start reading till morning.

In the morning, Adam got up, and saw Blake already up with a book in his hand. Adam figured that he hadn’t had any sleep. Adam felt guilty for not trying to comfort Blake that night like he usually did. Yet, the image of that Marcos between Blake’s legs made him angry again. So, he brushed his teeth, fixed his hair and headed to stand in the line with Luke and Jason. Blake said that he wasn’t hungry.

At the chow hall, Adam spotted Marcos at a table, laughing and flirting with a big guy. He had a little red mark at his jaw from Adam’s punch the other day, but it barely did anything to conceal his pretty face. Adam almost stomped to him and punched the hell out of his fucking (gorgeous) face, just so he would understand how much anger was inside his chest. At first, he just ignored him and sat down with his breakfast at their table, but then, he heard Marcos laugh loud and it felt as if that laugh was meant to for him.

Adam pushed his chair back and got up. He walked to the short guy with the intention of punishing him again. His fists were already tight and hard on his sides. When Marcos saw him, he rolled his eyes and walked to him too.

“Stop,” Marcos said, holding his hands up between them. “Calm down, you freak!”

Adam raised his hand to punch him, but Marcos blurted some words out fast, as he ducked for his dear life. “He said no!”

“What?” Adam asked, looking at the guy, hands frozen in the air, as he tried to make out what he said.

Marcos was careful when he fixed his posture, still worried Adam was going to punch him. When Adam didn’t, Marcos rolled his eyes again. “He said no. you maniac! We didn’t do anything,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Ugh, I can’t believe I got turned down for you. You!”

Adam lowered his fist. “He turned you down?”

“Yes,” Marcos said, not too happy. “He said that he only wants you or some shit. He asked me to leave. Do you know how embarrassing that was?”

“He said he wants only me?”

“Are you gonna repeat everything I say, now?” Marcos exclaimed, accent heavy and making him sound more frustrated. “I don’t know what he said exactly, I was busy feeling like an idiot. But yeah, something like that.”

Adam smiled wide, which was not exactly the best thing to do when he was about to apologize. “I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not,” Marcos snorted. He was right. Adam was not sorry. He was not sorry at all. “Just go! I don’t even want to look at you right now.”

Adam nodded and walked away, but not before he apologized about hitting the guy. This time… Well, he was still not genuine.

He didn’t go to his breakfast, but straight to his cell. He climbed the stairs so fast, two steps at a time, feeling his heart pounding so fast against his ribcage. But when he got there, he didn’t find Blake. When he asked an officer, he was told that Blake was at the showers.

Adam went there and saw two more guards waiting outside at the door. They refused to let him in at first, so he lied to them and told them that Blake was the one who sent for him. It worked like a charm. When Adam walked in, he saw Blake under the shower, hands flat on the wall as the water fell over his bare body. The stall doors were naturally short, so Adam only saw some of his upper half and just below the knees.

Adam walked to the stall next to Blake and stood there, watching the country man, waiting for him to notice. But Blake didn’t. He didn’t even look like he sensed Adam’s presence. He was spaced out, eyes squinted and jaws clenched as he focused on a random spot on the wall. He looked like he was hurting, in pain.

Adam remembered that Blake had a bad dream, and wondered if that was the reason for this look. Blake was wearing his necklace. He rarely did. Adam reached over and placed his hand on Blake’s bare shoulder. Blake snapped out of his thoughts and looked in Adam’s direction.

“Hey,” Adam said kindly, genuinely worried. “You okay?”

Blake looked at him for a few seconds, surprised and confused. “Who let you in?”

Adam licked his lips and smiled, mischievously. “I kind of lied to the guards.”

Blake sighed and looked away. “If you’re not here to shower, then get out.”

Adam pursed his lips and looked Blake’s wet body. His stomach twisted in lust. It had been a whole week. He needed to touch him. So he got on his hands and knees, and crawled into the stall from under the wall. He was fully dressed so the water soaked his clothes entirely, making them heavier on his body. Blake was looking at him like he didn’t have the patience or the will to deal with him.

Adam just rose onto his feet and stood between Blake and the wall. It was the first time he’d seen Blake fully naked and couldn’t help but stare at his strong build, thick calves and slashed hip bones. Adam wanted to touch and he so did.

“What are you doing?” Blake said. There was no interest in his eyes.

Adam took a deep breath and put his arms around Blake’s torso. Blake’s entire body was tense. Adam wondered about what was in the country man’s mind. “You have pretty feet,” Adam said, a little drolly but mostly genuinely. He liked a good pair of feet, and Blake’s were beautiful.

Blake edged his head and looked at Adam. “What?”

Adam shrugged. “I like them.”

Blake couldn’t look more confused. “What do you want, Adam?”

“Can you help me with my clothes, first?” Adam said, stepping away to push down his pants and boxers. As he did, he took off his shoes and socks on the way.

Blake didn’t make any attempt to help. He simply watched. The short man didn’t want to spend too much time undoing the buttons so he pulled the shirt over his head as and followed it with his tank top.

Now they both were naked.

Adam then ran his hands over Blake’s chest and up to his shoulders and neck. The water was running down their bodies, warm and gentle, setting a nice mood for them. Blake was watching him attentively, not making any effort to touch the younger man back. Adam’s hands reached over to Blake’s face and cupped the cheeks. He got on his tip toes and kissed Blake’s lips. Blake kissed back, tenderly, hands still on the wall.

Adam pressed their bodies together, feeling Blake’s entire figure on his, hands roaming all over his back. It was a huge difference from when his body was pressed to Behati’s. It made Adam shudder. Blake’s hands finally left the wall and felt Adam’s body up. Adam moaned in contentment, opening his mouth for Blake’s tongue. His hands went in Blake’s wet hair and ran through it, feeling the scalp under his fingertips.

Blake’s arms went around Adam’s waist, and lifted the shorter guy up. Adam smiled into his mouth and looped his arms around Blake’s neck. Blake’s body was starting to relax, melt into Adam’s. They kissed slowly, but deeply. They barely had any break to breathe, or talk or connect with their surroundings. Adam was gasping, short breaths he stole when Blake’s lips were doing the same thing. It felt different from all of their past kisses. They wanted to feel each other’s lips. They needed each other.

Blake finally put Adam down and looked at him. His eyes were blown dark, free from the worries they carried earlier. Adam reached over and touched his face, feeling the rough skin, the stubble under his palms. He loved the way Blake’s face leaned into his hand unconsciously.

“I hate your face, man,” Adam said, smiling through it.

Blake cocked an eyebrow but said nothing. Adam got on his tiptoes again and gave him one more kiss on the mouth.

Blake took a really long breath and let it out slow. Adam could feel Blake’s body relax more. He leaned over and put a long kiss on Blake’s chest, just close to the scar next to his heart.

“Let’s have some fun, okay?” Adam asked, biting his bottom lip. Blake was half hard in Adam’s hand. Adam stroked gently, keeping eyes on Blake. For a moment he was convinced that he was not able to stop kissing Blake, so he didn’t try to stop himself. Just because he could, and he wanted to, and he kept missing the taste of Blake’s mouth. The water still falling over their bodies made it very easy to slide his hand over it and get it to full hard-on.

Adam turned around and pressed his ass to Blake’s hips. “I want you.”

Blake sucked in a sharp breath as he looked at Adam’s ass. Adam grinned and wiggled his ass against Blake’s cock, making the older guy hiss and grab his hips tightly, pulling them back into him, humping his dick on Adam’s ass and brushing the puckered hole as he went. Adam bent over the wall, letting Blake spread his ass and lined his cock with his asshole. He was aware that he was not prepared, but really didn’t care. He wanted it.

Blake’s cock pushed in slowly. The water was their only lubricant, so it wasn’t easy. The head stretched the tight muscles, making Adam recoil in pain. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to relax. He opened himself up, and spread his legs wider. Blake pushed in some more, grunting as he did so.

It started to burn around the stretched rim, and it made Adam’s cock twitch. It was already half hard, hot. Blake stopped when he was only half way in, and started moving slowly, in and out. Adam mewled. He reached back and pulled one of his ass cheeks away from the other, as an attempt to make his tight ass spread more for Blake’s cock.

“Fuck,” Blake hissed, moving his cock a little faster now. His hands were gripping on Adam’s hips tight, keeping him from rocking back and forth.

Adam groaned when Blake’s cock finally hit his prostate. His body shook. His cock was rock hard, swinging back and forth as Blake fucked him.

“Oh shit,” Adam grunted. “Dee – deeper!”

Blake stopped for a second before he did as Adam asked. He pushed his dick farther in until he was buried deep inside Adam. Adam could feel Blake’s balls on his ass, hot and wet. Adam was the one who started moving first, pulling himself away from Blake’s cock, only to slam it back inside. He whined.

Blake took control from there. He started fucking Adam harder, faster, drawing one moan after another from Adam’s mouth. Adam’s voice was getting louder and he was sure the guards outside could hear. Still, he didn’t try to hold back his screams.

Blake’s thrusting was faster than usual. His hips were slapping Adam’s ass hard and loud as his dick went in and out. It became easier to move once Adam’s asshole got used to the size inside, welcomed it and relaxed around it. Now, it was pure pleasure blended with a little burning sensation that had Adam’s balls on fire.

“I’m gonna cum… Shit!” Adam said, grabbing his dick and stroking it. Blake’s thrusting was steady, fucking Adam in just the right beat.

Adam’s knees were getting weaker, and were about to give out a couple of times. Blake pulled out without a warning, making Adam whine in disapproval. Blake turned Adam around and pushed him against the wall. Adam smiled as they kissed and put his arms around Blake’s neck. Blake picked him up in one move that had Adam gasping into his mouth. He put the shorter man’s legs up and around his waist.

Adam almost came, watching Blake’s biceps bulge as they carried his weight up against the wall. Blake lined his dick with Adam’s hole again and let Adam’s body slid down on it.

“Oh... Oh my god!” Adam screamed, feeling his ass stretching over the hard girth. “Yeah! Fuck!”

Blake was all in again, fucking Adam. His face was a little red, hair falling in his face and eyes locked with Adam.

Adam kept one arm around Blake’s neck as the other man continued to thrust into him. Adam’s hand was tight around his dick, stroking it up and down. The bathroom wall was cold behind his back, his legs tight around Blake’s waist and his head tossed back in pleasure. It didn’t take long before he came so hard on Blake’s hips. The water immediately washed it away. His ass was clenching around Blake’s cock. His prostate was a little sensitive, making his hips jolt at the abuse. Blake came after five more long thrusts, shooting his cum deep inside Adam. Adam’s body shivered as he felt it slide down his rectum, following Blake’s cock outside. Blake finally put him down, and they started kissing again, melting in the afterglow.

After they cleaned up, Blake walked out first and got dressed. Then he went to the door and asked one of the guards for a new uniform.

As they waited, Blake grabbed a silver fragrance bottle, sprayed some liquid on his hand and patted some cologne on his neck and behind his ear. The shower immediately smelled like Blake and it almost gave Adam another boner. Meanwhile, Adam stayed behind the stall, arms folded on top of the door as he looked at Blake. They stayed in silence for a long time, waiting for the guard to bring Adam a clean uniform.

“Ask him to stop calling you that,” Adam said, breaking the silence.

Blake frowned, looking confused. “What?”

“Marcos. Ask him to stop calling you that,” Adam repeated, giving Blake the serious look. “It’s annoying!”

Blake’s dimples got deeper as he smiled at Adam. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Adam huffed. He knew he was lying, but still elaborated. “Papi! If he calls you this one more time, I’m gonna blast him in the face!”

“I like when he calls me that,” Blake said, teasing. “Besides, you have a girlfriend, why can’t I have someone on the side too?”

Adam grimaced. “First, Behati and I broke up. Second, I swear to god, Shelton, if you get your hands on anyone else but me, I’m gonna cut off your balls and feed them to stray animals!”

Blake walked to the stall and stood on the other side of the door, looking Adam in the eyes. There was a smile in his eyes, even when he tried to make his face look straight and angry. “Is that so?”

Adam squint his eyes. “Yes, that’s so!”

Blake licked his lips. “Why did you break up?”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Like you don’t know!”

“I don’t.”

Adam stared up in his eyes for a few seconds and then sighed. “I don’t know,” he confessed. “I just couldn’t lie to her about you and me, and maybe if I get out of here, we can get together, but now, it’s just… Hey, don’t change the subject! Ask that guy to stop calling you that, or I’ll ask him myself and it won’t be in a nice way!”

Blake leaned in and held Adam’s face in his hands. His cologne invaded Adam’s personal space, shaking every cell in Adam’s body. “Shouldn’t you be mad about last night or something?”

Adam pursed his lips. “I was.”

“And?”

“Marcos told me what you said, and I decided to forgive you.”

Blake hummed. “What I said?”

Adam blushed, but didn’t break eyes contact. Blake kissed his reddening cheek.

“You said you only want me.”

Blake smirked. “I didn’t say that.”

“What did you say then?”

Blake swallowed. “Why do I have to tell you?” he asked, leaning over. His lips planted a small kiss on Adam’s lips that filled the shorter guy with a thrill.

“Because you hurt me,” Adam said, getting on his tiptoes to kiss Blake again. “And I really want to know!”

Blake looked him in the eyes and said nothing. For a brief second, his lips parted as if he was going to say something, but a guard knocked on the door, interrupting them. Adam sighed. Guess he was gonna have to wait for his answer. Blake stepped away and asked them to come in. The officer gave Blake some dry clothes and shoes for Adam then went out, immediately.

 

**~~****~~ **

 

After they returned to their cell, Adam took off his shoes and climbed on Blake’s bed. Blake stayed up for a couple for minutes, shuffling through a new book that was on the table.

“Are you coming to bed or what?” Adam asked, a little impatient. He wanted to cuddle. When Blake didn’t, Adam huffed. “I’m serious, Shelton, come here!”

Blake glanced at him once before he looked back to his book. “There’s something for you under the pillow. A black box.”

Adam’s eyes lit up as he sat up. “A gift?”

Blake glanced at him once and nodded. “Quite.”

Adam smiled silly as he felt under the pillow. His hand touched the gun first and he almost freaked out. He never touched guns before. When he found what Blake was telling him about, he grabbed it and pulled it out. It was a small black box. Adam looked at Blake and pursed his lips.

“What is it?”

Blake closed his book and looked at Adam. “Open it.” He stayed in his place, and watched as Adam opened the lid.

After the lid was off and Adam saw what was inside, his heart skipped a beat. It was an iPod accompanied with a charger and set of headphones. Adam looked up at Blake, lips parted in surprise. Blake had a smile in his eyes. Adam held the device in his hand and couldn’t help but notice the familiar feeling under his fingertips. When he turned the iPod around, he saw his name and his father’s engraved on the back. His pulse picked up and tears welled in his eyes.

This wasn’t any iPod. This was his personal iPod. The one he left at home when he was sent to prison. Adam stared up at Blake for a long moment, lost for words. Then, he got off the bed and hugged Blake so tight. Blake hugged him and picked him off the ground.

“Thank you,” Adam said, peppering kisses at the side of Blake’s neck and face. “Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome.”

Adam looked at Blake, held his face in his hands and planted a long kiss on his lips. “I’m sorry for last night. I shouldn’t have hit you!”

Blake licked his lips. “You better not do it again!”

Adam smiled big and kissed him again. “Or what?”

“I’ll think of something when it happens.”

Adam chuckled and hugged him. “Wanna listen to something? I have some country songs in there.”

“What do you have?”

Adam shrugged. “A lot of things for Loretta Lynn, Brad Paisley and Johnny Cash and some other random things. You can pick whatever you like.”

Blake nodded. “Maybe later. I'm a little tired.”

Adam had never been this happy before, this blissful. His heart was beating comfortably in Blake’s arms and his thoughts, for once, were not in a rush or crowding his brain. It was peaceful and so beautiful he wanted to stay like that forever.

 

~~******** ~~

 

That night, they had dinner and just sat around. Adam got some paper and pencils and started sketching something as he listened to some music. Luke and Jason were playing cards while Blake was reading a new book that was delivered a little after dinner. Jason looked a little restless on Luke’s bed, looking over at Blake a lot like he was expecting him to say something. At first, Blake ignored him, but then he looked at him and sighed. Blake put his book on the table and looked at Adam instead. “Adam,” he called, holding Adam’s hand. “Come here.”

Adam pulled the headphones from his ears and looked up at him. Blake simply patted on an empty space in front of him.

Adam sat before him without protesting. “Everything’s okay?”

Blake nodded. “Let’s say I gave you a dollar. Can you double the amount?”

Adam’s eyes went up. That was not what he was expecting Blake to say, not even close. “What?” Adam asked.

“Focus!” Blake asked, looking Adam in the eyes. He did not look angry or upset. “If I give you a dollar, can you double it, playing poker?”

Adam looked around, and found that a serious look had spread over Jason’s face. Adam looked at Blake again and shrugged. “Depends on the bets. I can even get more than just two dollars, but that’s assuming that I will win, which doesn’t always happen. It’s gambling.”

“Then can you play for me?” Blake asked, reaching to wipe something off of Adam’s cheek. It was an eyelash. “So?” Blake asked when Adam kept him waiting.

Adam cleared his throat. “You want me to play with a dollar?”

“No. You can have one million, or as much as you need to make sure that the net win exceeds one and a half million,” Blake said, causally. “But I need you to win, alright?”

Adam’s mouth was hanging open. “Are you out of your mind? You want to gamble with a million dollars?”

“Lower your voice!” Blake said, firmly. “Yes, a million dollars. Can you do it or not?”

Adam couldn’t believe that guy. He wanted to waste all that money on a game? Adam looked at Luke, as if he was asking him to interfere. Instead he saw the look on Jason’s face. He looked like he was waiting a certain answer from Adam. This was obviously important to Jason for whatever reason.

“It’s too much money. What if I lose, Blake?” Adam pointed out. “I mean…”

“Don’t worry about the money,” Blake said, holding his hand. “Just tell me can you or can you not?”

Adam looked at Jason for a couple of seconds, and then sighed. “I need to watch a couple of games first to make sure they’re not cheating.”

Adam looked at Blake. The country man looked disappointed, like he was waiting for Adam to refuse. He pushed Adam’s hair away from his forehead, making the younger man relax a little in his hand. “He doesn’t cheat, but I’ll take you for a walk tomorrow,” Blake said, leaning back against the headboard of the bed.

“Really?” Adam interrupted, a little excited. Blake never really did anything with Adam (other than sex), so a walk sounded nice.

Blake nodded. “I’ll show you who you’re playing with and where you’re playing. You can watch them play if that’s what you want.”

Adam smiled big and got closer to Blake. “Great!”

When it was settled, Blake went back to his reading and Adam to his sketching. After that, the night passed slowly, quiet.

 

~~******** ~~

 

After work the following day, Adam went to the backyard and looked for Blake. Blake was at his usual place, sitting with Luke, Jason and Ed. When he saw Adam walking towards him, he stood up tall and fixed his clothes. Adam liked how everyone within that area paid attention when Blake started walking towards Adam. He couldn’t stop smiling like an idiot. Blake had his arm over Adam’s shoulders and guided him along the way.

They walked silently the whole time, heading towards the stairs, which confused Adam a little. He thought Blake was taking him upstairs for sex or something. They climbed the stairs to the second floor, then the third. Blake wasn’t making any attempt to explain, so Adam decided to just ask.

“Really? That’s the walk you promised?” Adam asked, a little disappointed. He actually thought they were going to enjoy some fresh air and sunlight on their skin. “We’re not gonna have sex, if that’s why you’re taking me upstairs. I’m tired. You can’t have me.”

Blake looked at Adam. “I can have you if I want to.”

Adam shook his head, no. “You can try, cowboy, but you’re not getting more than a kiss!”

Blake smiled and looked ahead. They stopped at a cell that had the number 92. Two guards were standing outside. When they saw Blake, they opened the door for him and Adam. “That’s where they play.”

The cell wasn’t as big as their cell, but that due to the fact that Blake’s cell was open to the one next to it. Other than that, it looked like their cell. It had a bed, a window, some shelves, table and chairs. Five men sat at a rectangular table, each was holding two cards. Three of them were prisoners from the third floor, and to Adam’s shock, the other two men were in the official uniforms of law enforcement officers. Adam looked at Blake with both shock and confusion. “Are these, like, real officers?” Adam asked as close to Blake’s ear as his shorter body would allow.

Blake nodded.

The table had some cards on it, lit cigarettes and some small plates that looked like credit cards. Later he found out that these plates were Poker Plaques, which were not widely used and usually had high values.

“How did they get these here?” Adam whispered again.

“Later,” Blake said, still walking towards that table. “Frank,” Blake called, staring dead at one guy in particular.

He was an elder, with grey hair and a long black beard. He had a scar on his left cheek and extraordinarily dry lips. The man’s smile sent a cold shiver down Adam spine. “Blake,” he greeted He glanced at Adam, and then looked back at Blake. “Long time no see, pal. How’s business?”

“All well,” Blake answered. For some reason, they didn’t seem like good friends. “I heard you stumbled with some dainty business.” It sounded more like an inside joke between them.

“Fuck you,” Frank laughed, and decided to change the subject. “Who’s your new pet?”

“I’m not a pet, asshole!” Adam yelled, involuntarily.

Frank’s smile disappeared. “Feisty,” Frank said, not too amused. “What do you want, Blake? You’re not here just so your… friend… can insult us, are you?”

“No,” Blake said, looking at Adam. “He’s harmless.”

“Then what do you want?”

Blake tilted his head a little towards Adam. “He wanted to watch a good game, so I thought I’d bring him to the best.”

Frank smiled, smug with himself. “He’s welcome to stay, so long as he promises not to disrespect the folks. You know how I feel about dirty tongues.”

“He’s a little chatty, but I think you’ll like him,” Blake said, removing his arm from around Adam. Adam didn’t want to be left alone, so he linked their arms together.

“Fine, he can take the bed. We’re kind of short on chairs.”

“You’re not gonna leave me here, are you?” Adam said, holding tight on Blake’s arm.

“You said you want to watch. They won’t hurt you. Just keep your smartass comments to yourself.”

Adam nodded. “Okay.”

Before Blake left he turned to one of the officers. “Stan.”

The officer was an elder too, a little short. He had lazy grey eyes, grayish brown hair and sharp eyebrows. The man smiled big at Blake and tipped his hat.

“Shelton,” he greeted back. “How it’s going?”

“A little boring,” Blake answered. “Maybe if you lift your foot of the gas a little, things could change.”

“You know that ain’t my call,” Stan answered, giggling a little.

Adam had no idea what they were talking about, but he was more focused on their accent. The man had a country accent. It was thicker than Blake’s, but it sounded the same. They used the same inflections as they talked. After their little conversation, Blake gave Adam a pat on the shoulder and left. Adam didn’t want to leave Blake’s arm for a moment, or sit down, but did. He didn’t want to look like a clingy child.

Adam was pleased to know that the game was official. In addition to the five players, a dealer (who was another prisoner) was responsible for dealing the cards and moving the button around.

The five men playing seemed comfortable and had a lot of money to waste. Especially the Asian man on the left to the dealer, that guy acted like he had gold for breakfast. The two officers were careful with their bets, and didn’t talk much. The guy to the right of the dealer was a redhead and was a heavy smoker, and a sore loser. Then, there was Frank, who was chatter. He enjoyed trash talking everyone and everything for the cheap laughter he’d gotten from his friends around the table.

The four men started a new game a short time after Adam had settled. He watched the four men playing closely. There wasn’t anything odd enough to call them out on it. They weren’t cheating or teaming up. The only unusual thing Adam noticed was the amount of money they were betting. They used plaques that were worth a lot. The green plaques had the highest value of 500,000. Adam had never seen people wasting so much money, and still looking this calm. The last time he played poker at a casino, he freaked out when he drunkenly bet 50 bucks by accident, and called himself an addict.

After Adam made sure they weren’t cheating, he was ready to play. But he didn’t know how to approach the men at the table, or what to say. So, he decided to just watch for that day and ask Blake to arrange it for him later. He was already fed up with Frank for that day anyway.

During the game, Frank threw some inappropriate comments here and there. The elder wasn’t targeting Adam only, but the players around the table too. But when he couldn’t get a reaction from them, he turned to Adam, making sure he got as deep as he could under his skin. Adam noticed that he only did when he had a bad hand, but figuring out his tell didn’t make it less embarrassing for Adam.

“Sugar?” Frank called, sucking a breath from his expensive cigars. “You can sit on the pillows to get more comfortable. I bet Blake doesn’t spare that pretty ass of yours.”

It was the first comment he’d said about Adam and Blake, and it had Adam’s face burning from embarrassment. The other men laughed at his disgusting joke. Adam chose not to give the man the pleasure of seeing him mad. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“Are you sure?” Frank asked lifting the can of beer in his hand. “He’s a big guy! Or,” he said, giggling in his throat, “is he like those bodybuilders, big bodies but small dick? I bet he’s on steroids like Louis!”

Adam didn’t answer, but wondered who Louis was. He assumed he was a friend of Frank’s or something. The old man threw his cards on the table for the showdown. The Asian guy’s cards beat his. Frank sighed but didn’t look like he cared much.

That was when Adam figured out that Frank was a sociopath.

“C’mon, I’m trying to be a nice host,” Frank said, taking a sip from his beer.

Adam knew these people fed on the misery of others, and enjoyed feeling superior. So, Adam decided not to give him what he wanted and play his game. “No, he’s not actually. He’s just as thick as the can you’re drinking from right now,” Adam said, making Frank spit out the beer in surprise. Some beer flew on the guys around the table. “I’m just so used to his dick that it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Frank looked at Adam, stunned but amused. He used his sleeve to dry his mouth, smiled and went back to the game for a while. “Since you’re being honest, why don’t you tell me how do you like it?” Frank asked as he looked into his cards. “I bet you like to ride like a cowboy.”

Adam’s hands curled into two fists on his thighs. “I don’t mind any position as long as it’s hard.”

The officer, Stan, gave Adam a weird look and then smiled.

“Oh, baby, baby,” Frank mumbled as he bet at the Flop. “I may have to borrow you some day,” he said, smirking. “Why don’t you get up and show me that fine ass of yours?”

Suddenly a new voice joined the conversation. “You know how Blake feels about people touching his stuff,” Stan said. “Stop dragging troubles to yourself. You don’t want Blake breaking you into pieces!”

Stan then looked at Adam and winked. Adam was actually surprised the officer was the one who warned Frank.

“I’m not trying to get in trouble,” Frank said. “But Blake kind of owes me big, so I’m gonna make sure he pays with another pretty boy this time.”

Adam gulped. “Another?’

“He let me borrow some ass before, sugar. So, I’m sure I’m going to have you in my bed very soon. Unless you wanna do it now? I won’t tell if you don’t. We can give these men a little show, and load you with some… cash.”

The guys around table were laughing again, as they looked into their cards. Frank’s voice was filling Adam with anxiety, and his words were like solid blocks of ice in his heart. Adam might have dug a deep hole for himself there, he thought. “Aren’t you going to play?” Adam said, keeping eye contact.

Adam could only stand one more game with that guy. He was getting frustrated with his comments and insults. Adam couldn’t take it and after the game had finished, he excused himself and saw himself out. He went straight to their cell, which was down the aisle.

He only found Luke and Jason sitting on Luke’s bed. He walked in, looking around for Blake. Adam sat on his bed, holding his head between his hands. He was actually panicking.

“How did it go?” Jason asked, sitting next to him.

Adam was freaking out by that point. He got up and started packing back and force. That guy managed to get in his head, and mess it up. “That guy is a fucking sociopath, you know that?”

“Was he cheating?” Luke asked.

“No. He doesn’t. He doesn’t even care!” Adam was still moving frantically, waiting for Blake. “Where’s Blake?”

“He’s not here.” Jason said.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Adam said rubbing his face in his hands. “Has Blake ever let other guys ‘borrow’ his, you know...?”

“Well, a couple,” Luke said, causally. “I think Lance, and… I don’t remember who the second guy was.”

“Oh my god,” Adam sat down next to them. “I swear to god, if Blake lets that guy near me, I’m gonna kill him!”

“Who?”

“Both! I’m gonna kill both of them!”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Don’t be stupid. It’ll probably be for a night or two. Frank gets bored fast.”

“Shut up, Luke,” Jason said, sighing. “You’re freaking him out! Don’t worry. Blake hates when people get near to his people.”

“What people?”

Adam head Blake’s voice at the entrance. He rose on his feet, walked to Blake, and glared at him. “I swear to god, Shelton, if you let him near me, I’m gonna kill you, then kill myself just to haunt your ass forever!”

Blake’s eyes were a little wide. He looked up at the other men, confused. “What’s going on?”

“Frank told him he’s going to borrow him,” Luke explained.

“Did he make a good offer?” Blake asked, making Adam’s eyes go wide. He grabbed Adam’s arm and turned him around. Then, he slid his arm under Adam’s chin and against his neck, fixing him in place.

“If he ever puts his stinky fingers on me, I’ll... I’ll run you over with a fucking car!” Adam continued with his threats, still struggling to break free.

“I don’t think so,” Luke said, answering Blake’s question and ignoring Adam. “I’d give him away for ten grand.”

“Fuck you!” Adam yelled.

“I changed my mind. Five is enough.”

Blake finally let go of Adam. Adam turned around only to see Blake smiling a little. He figured that he was being teased, but he still just punched his arm.

“Relax. I’m not gonna give you away,” Blake said, getting Adam under his arm again. This time, Adam managed to slip away.

“You better not,” Adam said as he pointed at Blake, warning. Blake grabbed his finger and put pressure on it. Adam grunted. “Ow, ow, ow! Let go!”

“Never point at me,” Blake warned, still grabbing Adam’s finger. “Never.”

Adam nodded. “You’re gonna break it! Let go!”

Blake finally did.

“Asshole,” Adam mumbled under his breath.

“Excuse me?” Blake stared at him dead serious now.

“Nothing,” Adam said immediately, walking to sit next to Luke. “So, you’re not…”

“I may if you ever call me that ever again!” Blake said, before turning to look at Jason and signaling to him to go with him.

Adam wanted to know what were they going to talk about, but knew that it was not going to happen. They never told him anything anyway.

 

**~~****~~ **

 

After Adam was sure that no one was cheating, and that Blake was not going to trade him, he decided he wanted to play right away.

He was in front of the sink, brushing his teeth when he noticed Blake walking towards him. He was still sleepy when he stood behind Adam and reached for his toothbrush. He squirted some toothpaste on his it and put it in his mouth.

Adam watched him in the mirror, a little playful smile on his lips. Blake got closer, put a hand on Adam's waist, and spit the toothpaste in the sink, pressing their bodies together lightly. Blake went back to brushing his teeth again, hands still holding on Adam's waist casually. He stayed like that for a while, before his eyes fell on Adam’s and one of his eyebrows cocked.

It was when Adam realized what he was doing to the poor toothbrush. He was wrapping it with his mouth as he moved it in and out slowly like he would do on Blake’s cock. It was embarrassing, but Adam kept their eyes locked together and pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth. “Hi,” he said friskily.

He was not expecting Blake to do anything or even say anything. The country man was always grumpy in the mornings. That’s why when Blake leaned over, looped an arm around Adam’s waist and put a small kiss on his left cheek, Adam gave out a little gasp of surprise.

 “Someone is in a good mood.” Adam pointed out, placing his toothbrush back into its place in the cup. “Did you sleep well?”

Blake nodded once. Adam turned around, put his arms around his waist and looked up at Blake. “So,” Adam said, putting his cheek on Blake’s chest. Blake wrapped him fully in his arm. It was comfortable. “When do you want me to play?” he asked.

Blake took a second to reply. “You’re ready?”

“Yeah.”

Blake reached and put his toothbrush in the cup. “I’ll send Luke with you next Saturday. He’ll take care of the talking.”

“Why not today?”

“They play only on Saturdays.”

Adam nodded, and then tilted his head to the right. “How did they get these things in here anyway?” he asked, a little curious. “And why were their jailers playing with them?”

“Frank owns a casino in Vegas. He’s the head of a mafia called the Scorpios. They’re mostly drug dealers and rapists. The men in uniform you have seen are not jailers or guards. Stan is the one running this Prison, and the other one is the deputy.”

Adam’s eyes went wide. “Like, the one who owns the prison?”

Blake shook his head, no. “No. The prison belongs to a completely different person. Stan just runs the place for them.”

 

Adam rolled his eyes. “Well, he isn’t doing a good job running crap, is he?” he said. “Why is he playing with a criminal?”

“Wh-” Blake looked like he wanted to say something first, but changed his mind and instead said, “Frank maybe a criminal, but he knows what’s fair. He will give you the money if you earn it in a game with him. But they only play with big money, so...” Blake reached over and pushed Adam’s hair away from his forehead. “Stan is an addict. A wealthy addict. His job doesn’t give him much free time.”

Adam took a deep breath and felt Blake’s hand slid down his face. “Why is Jason so interested in this game?”

Blake’s hand stopped, moving. For a moment, Adam thought Blake was going to avoid the question. Surprisingly, he didn’t. “Frank’s cousin stole something really precious from Jason,” he said before his hand left Adam’s face and settled on his waist instead. “We need to get it back.”

Adam pursed his lips. “Can you tell me what it is that he took?”

Blake set his jaws. “No. Let go now. I’m tired,” he said, pulling away from Adam.

Adam held on to him tighter. “Oh, here’s the grumpy bear I know. I was wondering when it was coming out,” Adam said, rolling his eyes. “Would it kill you to be nice to me sometimes?”

Blake looked at Adam for a long moment but said nothing.

Adam sighed. “Fine, you don’t have to tell me, but,” he said, reaching to fix the collar of Blake’s shirt, “tell me what you are going to do for the rest of the day. It’s my day off, so, I need a little bit of inspiration.”

Blake sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Breakfast,” he actually answered. Adam couldn’t help but being surprised. “Maybe a walk?”

“Can I come with you for the walk? You kind of owe me one from yesterday.”

Blake nodded. His hand reached and felt Adam’s face. It was warm and incredibly comforting. “Yeah,” he said as pulled his hand away. Adam barely stopped himself from whimpering in disapproval. “Now get off me.”

Adam sighed. “Fine. But I hate you.”

He didn’t mean it, at least not fully.


	15. Chapter 15

The following Saturday, Luke picked Adam up from the library after work. He did not give Adam any time to ask questions, and dragged him by the arm to where he was playing. On the way, Luke looked once at Adam and told him not to be reckless, and that he was not going to tolerate smartass bullshit. Adam didn’t take him too seriously. He knew Luke wouldn’t do anything to him on Blake’s watch.

After they got to cell 92, they found the players already there. The surface of the table was empty, indicating they hadn’t started yet. They walked towards the folks, Luke in front of Adam. Frank had already seen them, and just watched them as they approached.

“Luke?” Frank asked, knowingly.

“How it’s going?” Luke said, tipping an imaginary hat to the older man.

Frank said, “Better than ever.” The dealer had put a deck of cards and the button on the table. “What brings you here?”

“He wants to play,” Luke pointed at Adam with his head.

“Oh, really?” Frank laughed, looking at his pals. “This is not amateur games, sweetie. To play, you have to be packed on the outside. I have to know you can pay!”

“How about a million dollars?” Adam asked, knowing Frank was not going to refuse.

Frank straightened up and smiled. “And how do I know you can pay, sugar?”

“This is on Blake,” Luke said, putting a hand on Adam’s back to push him forward. Adam followed his silent instruction. “You’ll be dealing directly with our guys outside.”

“Ooh, your sugar daddy is sponsoring you,” Frank said, as he pointed at an empty chair, indicating that agreed to Adam playing. “How nice!”

“I always heard Blake spoiled his pets, but a million dollars? That must be a very special pet,” the Asian guy said, lighting up a cigarette.

“Careful, Cho, he doesn’t like to be called a pet,” Frank said, looking at Adam.

Stan was looking at Adam too in a weird way that caught Adam’s attention for a few seconds. His lazy eyes traveled up and down Adam’s body as if studying him. Adam ignored him and sat down third to the dealer on the left side.

“Just don’t let him go over two million,” Luke said as he sat down on the bed to watch.

“That’s a lot of money,” the redhead guy said. Adam agreed. “Have you ever played?”

“Yeah, I used to play a lot with my grandfather and a few ti...” Adam answered truthfully, but they didn't let him finish and started laughing.

“Aw, that’s cute,” Frank said. Adam grimaced. “How much do you wanna start with?”

“I dunno, just give me a million for now,” Adam said, tapping with his fingers on the table. Frank gave him plaques, and they were all of high values. The biggest value Adam had was of a red color, which was worth $25,000. Adam knew he was not going to enjoy losing this money. H was uncomfortable, holding the rectangular plates in his hand, but he was more restless because of their values. One plaque of the red color was more expensive than some cars at his uncle’s dealership.

The first hand began with the dealer shuffling the cards, and the player on the right making the cut. The blinds put the forced bets forward and then the dealer gave each player two cards, facing down. Adam had a two of hearts and three of diamonds. The betting round started, and everyone put down their bets. It was easier to accept the big values of the plaques, once he started pretending those were cheap chips.

The second round started, and three community cards were dealt on the table facing up. Adam looked up, and saw that everyone was focused. He called the previous bet, and eyed the players as they either matched or raised. Everyone seemed comfortable with their cards, except for the redhead. Unfortunately for him, he was like an open book, at least to Adam.

Another community card was shared in the third round. Adam folded. His cards were too weak, and he didn’t want to risk it. So he settled on just watching the players, focusing on their movement, their micro expressions.

The first hand ended with Stan taking the pot.

The dealer collected back the cards on the table and gave them another shuffle for the second hand. As he did, some men pulled out cigarettes from their pockets and offered one for Adam. Adam refused, politely.

For the second hand, he had to be the big blind, so he doubled the amount the small blind put on the table for the forced bet. Again, he had low rank cards. The players called and checked and raised and Adam matched them.

The second round started with three community cards facing up. Adam’s toes curled. He could go for a three of a kind. The Asian man and Stan folded. After the betting round was over, the dealer put down another community card for the third round. Adam matched the previous bet. Frank was calm, looking at the player’s faces with a straight face. The deputy folded in the third round.  
The fourth round, no one folded, not even Adam. So, the showdown was between him, the redhead and Frank. The red head put his cards down first. Adam was relieved and showed his cards. The redhead was already disappointed that he lost to Adam. But then, Frank showed his cards and Adam’s stomach just dropped. He’d lost. He’d lost over three hundred thousand dollars. In one hand!

“Wow,” Luke said, hitting the heel of his shoes to the floor, surprising Adam. He had forgotten Luke was still there. “You’d think Blake would make good use of his money other than wasting it on some guy!”

Adam huffed. “You’re angry Blake gave it to me not you?”

“At least, I would have made an effort to actually win.”

Adam was already beating himself down for losing. He really didn’t need Luke to put gas on his fire. He got cocky, that was what happened. He forgot that it was gambling, that it was just a game of luck if he wasn’t careful. He felt so dumb. He knew Frank’s tell, yet chose to ignore his guts and bluff anyway.

Another hand was dealt. This time Adam promised himself to fold when necessary and not risk losing more money. He was the small blind for this hand, so he put some money on the table. The big blind doubled the amount. The first round of betting ended after all contributed their bets. The second round, the deputy folded and so did the Asian man.

“God, you’re pretty,” Frank said suddenly at the beginning of the third round. He startled Adam a little, since it was dead silent around the table. “How exactly did you say you liked it? Cowboy style?’’

Adam was a little uncomfortable with his question, and took him a few seconds to figure that Frank probably had bad cards.

“Can we focus on the game?” Adam tried, still waiting for Frank to put up his bet.

He raised Adam’s bet, keeping the round going. “C’mon, sugar, talk to me,” Frank said, close to Adam’s ear. “How do you like it?’

“Hey, hey,” Luke finally said something. “No touching, he’s taken, buddy.”

Adam was grateful, not that he couldn’t take the guy down. But right then, he needed to focus.

“Just trying to make a conversation,” Frank said, before he put the cigarettes in his mouth.

“Well, keep it clean,” Luke demanded.

Frank just rolled his eyes.

After the third round ended, the dealer dealt one more community card to the table indicating the fourth round. Adam looked around and watched the rest of the players. The redhead sucked in a couple of deep breaths of smoke. Adam assumed he was in trouble, and predicted for him to fold. He did.

That left Adam, Frank and Stan for the showdown. Adam licked his lips. He’d already known both the redheads and the Frank’s tells when they were in trouble, but Stan? Adam couldn’t foresee a thing. He was a blank page.

The showdown took place, and Stan was the first to show his card. Adam was relieved he had only a pair. Frank showed his cards after and then it was Adam’s turn.

Stan swore under his breath. Adam won with a straight flush.

After Adam collected his money, another hand started, then a fifth, then a sixth. Adam folded early at the fourth hand, won with good cards during the fifth and by bluffing during the sixth. The redhead was getting frustrated. He didn’t have any plaques so he was out, along with the deputy, who decided he wanted to get away with however much he had left.

Frank announced one last hand before everyone went back to their cells. Stan was up for it, the Asian guy was a little reluctant at first, but then agreed. Adam played too. Frank put down the forced bet and the Asian man doubled his amount. The dealer gave each two cards facing down. Adam had a pair of six of hearts.

The first round started and the four remaining players started the betting round. Then all the betting was contributed to the middle. The Asian man folded at the second round. So that left Frank, Stan and Adam.

Frank looked annoyed at the third round, but he still matched the bets. He didn’t say anything, though. Stan was as quiet as always.

The last round began, since the three of them didn’t show any sign of folding back. Frank suddenly straightened up and separated his plaques into groups then pushed some in forwards. He’d raised the bet. Stan looked at him for a few seconds, probably considering folding. But he didn’t, he called.

Adam gulped. A voice in his head kept begging him to just fold. These men seemed confident enough with their cards. He took one look at Frank and Stan and something told him that they were bluffing, especially Frank, who hadn’t looked at his cards as much as he usually did, but only kept them on the table. Adam gulped again and matched their bet. As he pushed his plaques forwards, a wave of regret washed over him. He’d just put half a million forwards. Frank didn’t say a word for this hand, which usually meant that he had some good cards. Why did he call them?

The dealer asked the men to show their cards, starting from Adam. Adam’s heart was pounding hard as he put his cards, facing up on the table. For a second, his heart tugged hard and he hated himself so much for taking this risk. Yes, he had a straight, but that was not the strongest combination in the game.  
Suddenly, Frank grunted and tilted his head back in frustration. Stan swore under his breath as he showed his cards.

Adam had won! Adam wouldn’t believe it and had to turn Frank’s cards up to make sure. He actually won. With Blake’s money still intact, Adam won over $2,500,000.

He spent a whole minute laughing and cheering for himself as he pulled his prize to him. Frank was watching him, both angry and disappointed. Adam just ignored him and stacked his plaques. “Grandfather my ass,” Frank said, suddenly. He was smiling now, though. “You have earned it, sugar.”

“Thank you,” Adam said, giggling like an idiot. “How do I take my money?’

Frank scratched his beard and looked at Luke. “Nashville?”

Luke nodded and walked to Adam. “Next week, October 27th.”

Frank didn’t answer and just nodded. Adam finally got up and stretched his body. He’d been sitting in this chair for too long.

 

**~~****~~ **

 

As Luke and Adam walked back to their cell, Luke actually told him that he did well. A big smile had spread on Adam’s lips. Luke rarely said nice things to him before, so Adam appreciated his praise. When they got to the cell, Adam already smelled like cigarette since he was sitting next to the redhead. He needed a shower, but first, he wanted to tell Jason. He knew Jason was probably worried the whole time.

“How did it go?” Jason asked the moment Adam and Luke walked into their cell.  
Luke smiled. “Well, he definitely had me sweating for a couple of minutes, but he did it. We’re meeting on October 27th.”

Jason got up and hugged Adam tight. Adam still didn’t know what was the thing Frank took from that man to get him this desperate? But Adam was happy to help. He hugged Jason back so tight.

As he did, he saw Blake smiling at him, and that made Adam so happy.

 

~~******** ~~

 

“You need to lower your arm, Adam,” Jason said, sounding like he was trying to be patient. They were in their cell, and it was night. Jason was showing Adam a new self-defense move, which Adam had been trying to mimic with no luck. He could tell that Jason was getting frustrated with him, but being the sweet guy he was, he didn’t show it. “Lower your arm a little, put your left foot first, and squat just a bit. This way, your legs are both ready to both attack and defend.”

Adam tried again. In his head, he’d gotten it, perfectly. But according to Jason’s sighing, he apparently was not even close.

“Good thing I didn’t train him,” Luke said out loud. “Because I would have killed him by now. How thick are you, exactly?”

Adam huffed at him. “Go fuck yourself.”

Blake was reading in his book, but every now and then, he would look up and watch as Jason and Adam practice.

Jason walked to Adam and around him, and then stood behind him. “Alright, we’ll try something else,” he said. Suddenly, his hands were on Adam’s shoulders and his body was a little pressed against him. He was an inch or two taller than Adam, and much broader.

“What are you doing?” Luke asked. Adam was surprised Luke beat him to the question. Luke looked a little unhappy with the way Jason was behind Adam. Adam figured that he was jealous.

Jason ignored Luke’s question and kept his hands on Adam’s shoulders and pushed him a little into a slightly squatted position. “Left hand up and in front,” he instructed as he positioned Adam’s arms correctly. His leg came between Adam’s and spread them a little wider. Adam almost tripped, but held it together. The lifting worked pretty well for his legs. “Now, your left foot goes in front.”

When Adam did, his body pressed against Jason’s more. He was taken aback by how solid his body was for a second. Yet, he managed to pull out the position like Jason instructed. With that, his ass was literally on Jason’s crotch, which was not the most comfortable feeling in the world.

“How much do you lift?” Adam asked when Jason pulled away from him, leaving him in the right position. Jason stood in front of him, and held his hands up flat. Adam knew what it meant, so he started throwing punches in Jason’s hands. “Your body is like steel!”

Jason chuckled. “It doesn’t come easy,” he said, now moving backwards, gesturing for Adam to follow him without stopping his punches at his open hands. “Use the muscles in your legs. Let them hold your weight as you walk towards me.”

Adam tried, but didn’t do the greatest job. “Why don’t you show me again?” he asked, solely to make Luke angry. The blond was not pleased with Jason being too close to Adam. He never was.

Jason was so nice that he didn’t pick on what Adam was trying to do. He walked again behind Adam and positioned him. Luke threw whatever he had in his hands on the bed and started watching, angry.

“How many times do you work out, Jason?” Adam asked, glancing once at Luke.

Jason hummed, still trying to fix Adam’s hands. “Three to four times a week. Depends on my mood.”

“That’s cool…” Adam said, but was interrupted.

“Alright,” Luke said, sharply. “He’s in position now! No need for more touching!”

Adam almost laughed out loud, but held it together. “Why are you mad? He’s just helping me out!”

Suddenly the sound of a paper being shuffled reached Adam’s ear. It was unusually aggressive. Adam looked at Blake and saw his jaw clenching. Was he mad? Blake’s eyes glanced up at Adam and Jason. They were angry as they looked at Jason’s body pressed against Adam.

Was he jealous?

“Yeah, he’s helping, but…” Luke said, protesting. “You’re just acting dumb to get him to show you himself! That’s unacceptable!”

Jason sighed. “Luke, don’t be ridiculous,” he said, as he put his hands on Adam’s shoulders to push him into position again.

Blake’s nose flared and his jaw muscles moved as they tensed. Adam was smiling silly to himself. After Jason was done positioning him, he stepped back again and stood in front of Adam.

“Okay, one more round, then we’ll continue tomorrow.”

Adam nodded. This time, he tried his best to focus. At first, he found it a little hard to keep the position as he moved, but then, he’d gotten it. He was so proud of himself. Jason praised him and gave him a pat on the back.

After the workout, Adam washed his face and put a towel around his neck, to absorb some sweat off his body. He then looked at Blake for a couple of seconds, debating in his head whether or not to sleep in his bed. Blake looked angry. Adam made him angry. The idea of Blake being jealous amused Adam a little, so he decided to go for Blake. Surprisingly, Blake didn’t say anything when Adam climbed on the bed with his sketchbook and pencils.

“Hey,” Adam said, sitting next to Blake.

Blake just took a breath and let it out quietly. His jaw clenched again. Adam felt a little guilty. So he leaned forwards and put a kiss on Blake’s cheek. The tall guy looked at him, and frowned a little. Adam smiled like an idiot before he put another kiss on Blake’s lips. This one lasted for a couple a seconds, with Blake’s hand in Adam’s hair. When they parted, Adam leaned into Blake.

“Don’t worry, cowboy,” he whispered in the country man’s ear. “You’re still the only one.”

Adam grabbed his iPod and played a song, while Blake went back to his reading. It went by peacefully, both doing their thing. At some point, Adam glanced over at Blake and found that Blake no longer looked angry, but instead, in a good mood.

After the lights were off, Adam chose to cuddle next to Blake. The country man allowed it. They stayed quiet for a long time, with Blake’s hand in Adam’s hair, gentle and warm and even holding him close. A few minutes passed, and Adam felt Blake’s lips on his forehead, kissing gently. They were feather like.

Adam looked up and kissed him blindly. His lips landed on Blake’s chin. Blake’s hand slid to Adam’s jaw and held his head up. Adam closed his eyes, knowing what was coming, wanting it. Soon, Blake’s lips pressed softly on his, kissing gently. Adam opened his mouth immediately, allowing Blake’s tongue in. For some reason, this kiss was not like any of their past kisses. It was slow, sensual and patient. There were no intentions behind it, other than the fact that they both wanted to feel each other.

Adam had never done this with anyone before, just lay down with them, making out in the dark, and feeling their body pressed against his. The only sound that filled the room was their lips smacking, their gentle moans and their shallow breathing. They kissed until Adam’s lips started to tingle from all the biting, the tugging and sucking. His heart was beating so fast, and chest rising and falling in sync with Blake.

At some point, he smiled into to kiss and got on top of Blake, lying on his stomach. They kissed for some more, as Blake felt his body and hair. Adam was surprised that neither attempted to go anywhere below the waist.

Blake pulled off for a moment and started kissing all over Adam’s face and neck. Adam almost purred into his touch. His body was so relaxed on top of him, warm and cozy. Blake kissed his lips again, Adam moaned into him. His big arms wrapped Adam as he rolled on his side, causing Adam to fall off next to him. One of Adam’s legs curled around Blake’s long ones, and his arms went around his waist. Their bodies pressed together, with one arm under Adam’s neck and the other holding him.

Adam broke their kiss and looked at Blake, knowing where his eyes were even in the dark. “Were you jealous of Jason this evening?” he whispered. Adam didn’t really need an answer. He just wanted to know how Blake was going to react to the question.

“Shush!” Blake leaned over and kissed his cheek and neck instead.

Adam giggled as Blake’s lips kissed his skin at his neck. “That tickles.”

He felt Blake’s lips spread on his collar, indicating a smile. Then his lips came back up and they kissed some more on the lips.

When Blake finally pulled away, he brought Adam to him and tucked his head under his chin. It stayed quiet for a few seconds, before Blake put one last kiss on Adam’s forehead.

“Good night,” he whispered.

Adam blinked a few times, a little surprised. Blake had never wished him a good night before. Adam smiled. “Good night to you, too.”

 

**~~****~~ **

 

It was the night before the delivery, and Adam woke up to a loud thud next to him. Someone pounded on the table. He was facing the wall, and judging by how soft the bed was, he figured he was on Blake’s bed. He just stayed there for a couple of moments, still tired and half asleep. It was when he heard the three inmates, talking.

“Calm down, he is going to be Aiden. He is the one handling the big money,” Luke said. “Two and half million is not little!”

Adam agreed. He was fully awake now.

“What if it’s not him?” Jason said, sounding paranoid. “Then what?”

“I’ll find another way,” Blake said.

“How? How Blake?” Jason said. His voice was choked. “I have been looking for this guy for six years! I don’t know where he’s hiding, what he’s doing or…”

“I’m sure it’s going to be him, Jason,” Luke said, interrupting. “I promise, we won’t stop until we get him, okay?

Adam lifted himself on his elbow and looked at the three men. Blake was at Luke’s bed with Luke and Jason. Luke looked shocked to see Adam up.

“When did you get up?” Luke asked.

“I just woke up. Who’s Aiden?”

Blake opened his lips to talk, when Jason, actually, answered Adam.

“He’s Frank’s messenger,” Jason said, earning him a punch from Luke on his arm. Jason looked up and uttered a little curse under his breath. He was probably too lost in his thoughts to remember that he should have been careful around Adam.

“Why does it have to be him?” Adam asked, sitting a little excited that Jason answered him. He thought maybe now, they could tell him what did Frank steal from Jason. “Won’t anyone just do?”

“NO!” Again, Jason shouted, and let his emotions talk. “It has to be him. He has to die and it has to be tomorrow!”

Luke punched Jason’s arm again. This time Jason just glared at him. “What?!” Jason yelled from the top of his lungs.

Luke huffed at him. “Why don’t you just grab a microphone and spread the fucking word?!”

“Whatever!” Jason looked like he knew that he shouldn’t have said anything, but was too angry to care.

“Die?” Adam said, slowly. At first, he thought they were messing with him, joking about that dying thing, and was waiting for them to laugh at him for falling for it.

They didn’t. They looked serious.

“You said he stole something from Jason.” Adam looked at Blake, eyes fixed on the big guy. “That you want to just get it back. You lied?”

His heart beat faster as he slowly realized that he was in a murderer’s bed, which was stupid. He knew the moment he stepped into this prison that these three were dangerous assassins. This whole time, he was so blinded by the privileges and protection he had from them that he forgot how to use his brain to rationalize what he was doing.

“You… You are you going to kill him?” Adam was still hoping they’d say no, and laugh it off. His chest was rising and falling faster now. “Did… Did I help you? Did I help you kill that man?”

He looked at Blake, waiting for an answer. Blake just set his jaw.

Adam shook his head, refusing to believe. His brain is running a thousand miles per second, his body shaking. He got out of the bed and stood there in the middle of the cell, looking at Blake. He couldn’t sit down, now that he knew.  
“You made me help,” he uttered in incredulity, locking eyes with Blake’s. “You made a murderer out of me! You lied to me!”

Blake didn’t look away and didn’t talk either.

“Oh my god. You made me help!” Adam repeated again. The thought was too heavy for his brain to process. “Please tell me I didn’t help you with this! You…”

Luke got up, making Adam shriek in his place. “Don’t you fucking come near me!” Adam shouted, holding his hand up in warning.

Luke rolled his eyes. “Could you calm down?” He put his hand on Adam’s shoulder.

“Don’t touch me!” Adam pushed Luke away, quite aggressively. “You’re a fucking murderer! You all are!” His voice was shivering, and his eyes were on the verge of crying.

Luke looked angry. “Okay, I’m gonna give you one more chance to shut your mouth!”

“Or what?” Adam asked, looking him dead in the eyes. “You’re gonna kill me too?!”

“No actually, I’m gonna show you something that is worse than death! I’m gon–“

“Enough!” Blake shouted.

“No, that is not enough!” Adam yelled. “You got me into this. I trusted you, you son of a bitch! You! You turned me into a fucking murderer like you! How could you do this to me?!”

“Hey! What the hell is wrong with you? Aren’t you here for the same fucking reason? You’re not here for pushing a cat down the stairs. You’re here because you killed someone!”

“I am nothing like you!” Adam yelled, scratching his voice while doing so. “Nothing! I didn’t kill that woman, and I would NEVER hurt anyone! Never!”

“Right, because everyone is innocent here.” Luke said sarcastically.

“I don’t care if you believe me or not. I just don’t want your blood-stained hands near me!”

Jason got up and walked to Adam. “Adam, please calm down!”

Adam shook his head. “You… You stay away from me!”

Jason bowed his head.

“You need to stop!” Luke warned.

“Go fuck yourself!”

Luke didn’t let him say any more and took a swing at him, punching him right in the face. Adam stumbled back, hitting the iron door. His back hurt. The sharp pain in his face radiated to his eyes. Still, he recovered fast and punched Luke back. It wasn’t as hard as he would have liked it to be, but at least he didn’t miss. “Don’t you fucking touch me, you asshole!”

Luke was about to stomp back to him, but Jason grabbed him and stopped him. “Luke calm down!” Then Jason looked at Adam. “Adam, please, sit down?”

Adam shook his head. “Don’t say my name. You act nice and shit but you’re worse than both of them!”

Jason didn’t say anything.

“I can’t believe I thought Frank was the bad guy,” Adam said, holding his head like he was going crazy. “I’m gonna tell him! I’m gonna tell Frank about this. I’m not going to be responsible for that guy’s death!”

Blake got up, taking Adam’s breath for a second, and walked in his direction. “Excuse me?”

Adam started walking backward, a little scared, but not as much as he was hurt. He trusted that jerk. “Don’t!” Adam demanded.

Blake didn’t listen.

“You’re… I trusted you! How could you get me involved in this? How much of a cold monster are you?!”

Another punch landed on his face, but this time it was from Blake. Adam was so shocked he couldn’t even look at him. His nose was dripping blood onto the floor, tears were blurring his vision and ears were ringing. Adam looked at Blake with tears threatening to fall down.

“I hate you!” Adam shouted. “I fucking hate you! If you think this is going to scare me, you’re wrong. I’m gonna tell Frank! I’m not gonna let you…”

He didn’t finish. Blake slapped him this time. Adam almost fell on the ground. Luke looked guilty for some reason, and decided he didn’t want to watch anymore.

Blake grabbed Adam’s neck and pushed him back against the wall, so hard Adam thought his bones broke. “If you say one word to Frank, I’m gonna make sure every guy in this place get a little taste of your ass,” Blake said, tightening around Adam’s throat. Adam couldn’t breathe. Blake didn’t stop even when Adam’s tears started falling down his cheeks. “Do you understand?”

Adam closed his eyes, not wanting to look at that face. His brain refused to believe that it was the same Blake from before.

“I said do you understand?!”

Adam shook his head. He wasn’t going to have that man’s blood on his hand. “I don’t care! Do whatever you want. I’m not like you! I’m not a murderer! I can’t let him die!” He was struggling to talk with Blake’s hand tight around his throat.

Blake looked surprised, jaw clenching as he looked into Adam’s eyes. Suddenly, he pounded his fist on the iron door a few times. His hand released Adam, and the short man fell on the floor, coughing and gasping for air. A few minutes later, the guards opened the door, looking a little alarmed,

“Is everything okay?” Adam heard one of the guards ask.

Blake stared down at Adam for a moment, right into his tearful eyes. “Take him to solo,” Blake said. “He never served those ten days from before, did he?”

A tear fell from Adam’s eyes. He was talking about the ten days Adam was supposed to spend before he joined Blake’s group, the days Blake got him out of it.

“It doesn’t have to get to this, Blake,” Luke said, sounding concerned.

“Shut up!” Blake shouted. His breathing was raging. “I don’t want to see his face for the next two weeks!” He looked at the guards. “Take him!”


	16. Chapter 16

It had been so long since Adam saw the daylight. Had it been seven days? Eight? He’d lost count. He was curled in one corner, knees against his chest and head bowed. He barely touched his food and water. He’d forgotten how mind numbing that hole was. He felt dead, six feet under. If it wasn’t for the pain, spiraling within him, he would have actually believed that he died and was buried, forgotten, underground. The idea of that man’s blood on his hands still made him sick, but that was not even the worst part. The worst part was Blake thinking that it was okay to turn him into a murderer, that he’d abused Adam’s trust. He was misled, betrayed and taken for a fool, and couldn’t believe that for a moment he actually thought that he...!

  
He could still feel Blake’s knuckles on his face, his hand choking his neck and his cold eyes staring down at him. Adam couldn’t sleep. Sometimes, he would wake up in the middle of the night panting for air, shaking, crying.

  
By then, he figured that Blake’s men had already killed that man, Aiden. He was praying Frank had sent someone else to ruin Blake’s plans. His heart was weeping, blaming him for what had happened. In a way, he allowed Blake to use him, he allowed Blake to manipulate him and his feelings.

  
If only he refused to play!

  
On the morning of whatever day that was, the door opened, lighting up the whole space. Adam kept his head down, not wanting to see anyone. He heard Luke’s voice, asking the guard to leave them alone, which they did. He wondered why the hell he was there, and for a second wanted to get up and punch the hell out of him. But he didn’t have the strength, or the desire, to even look him in the face.

  
“Let’s go,” Luke said, sounding unusually sad. “You need to get out of here.”

  
“Leave me alone.” Adam said, weakly.

  
“You have to, Adam. There’s b…” He paused for a few seconds. “I have some bad news about your mother.”

  
Adam’s heart dropped. His head snapped up, eyes searching for Luke’s. “What’s wrong with her?”

  
Luke couldn’t hold eye contacts. “Your friend, Jesse, visited. Your mother had a stroke a week ago, and she passed away last night.”

  
Adam’s heart almost stopped. Everything was collapsing right before his eyes. He looked at Luke and shook his head.

  
“I’m so sor-” Luke tried to say.

  
“No,” Adam said, cutting him off. “No, you’re lying! She can’t… she just can’t!”

  
“I’m so sorry,” Luke apologized again, reaching over for Adam’s shoulder.

  
Adam flinched. “Don’t you fucking dare touch me! I don’t… I don’t believe you, just leave!”

  
“You can…”

  
“Get out!” Adam yelled, catching the guards’ attention. “Leave!”

  
“Adam, c’mon,” Luke tried again. “Just hear me out!”

  
“Just leave! It’s all lies!” Adam curled into himself tighter, eyes blurry with the tears in them. “Leave me alone!”

  
Luke clenched his jaw. “I was gonna say that you can go to the funeral. Blake can arrange something…”

  
“I don’t need any help from a murderer!”Adam snapped. “Just leave me alone!”

“Don’t be stubborn!”

  
“Get the hell out!”

  
Luke didn’t respond. He took a few steps backward before he turned on a heel and just walked away.

  
The door soon closed, spreading the darkness all around him once again. He was staring at nothing. He was crying silently. It wasn’t until the sound of the guards outside disappeared that he started weeping like a child, screaming and banging the walls with his the back of his head. It all felt unreal. He thought he knew pain before, but it was all a joke compared to what he was feeling at that moment. This felt like a dull knife, gruffly twisting into his heart, like a hand squeezing the air out of his lungs.

  
He couldn’t believe it. He could still imagine her knitting something in her favorite chair next to the fireplace. She was probably making another ugly cardigan for him, he was going to complain about the colors she chose, and she was going to tell him that they brought out his hazel eyes. He wanted to believe she was still alive. But Luke had no reason to lie to him. Why would he lie?

  
**~~****~~**

  
On another night, the door opened again, but this time, it was the guards, who came to take him. They walked in and asked him to stand up. He did. They handcuffed his hands behind his back and led him out.

  
“Let’s go,” one of the guards said. He was unusually gentle with him, probably heard the news about Adam’s mother.

  
“Can you leave me here?” Adam requested.

  
“I’m sorry, but, we need the space,” he said as he guided Adam out. It was evening and the moon was full behind the huge windows.

  
“Can I change my cell, at least?” Adam asked.

  
The guard locked the door, and then guided Adam away. “It’s crowded, Levine. You can send an official request, but I very much doubt they’ll approve. You’re not the only one who wants to change their cell.”

  
Adam walked in front of him in silence, like a dead man. He was guided to the showers and was given some time to clean up. He stood under the spray and let the water fall on his body. It was so cold his body was trembling under it.

  
After he was done, he put some clothes on and stood in front of a mirror by the door. He looked at himself, at the bruises his cellmates left on his face. Both of his cheeks had purplish red bump, there was a small cut on the bridge of his nose and another on his upper lip. When he was done checking his miserable face, the guard guided him back to his cell. It was nine, so, the lights were still on.

  
The door opened and he walked in.

  
Luke and Jason were sitting on the same bed, while Blake sat on his own, reading. When Jason saw him, he got up immediately and walked to him.

  
“Don’t!” Adam said, taking a step away. “Don’t get close to me. Just stay away!”

  
Jason looked hurt. “Adam, don’t be stubborn!”

  
“Did you kill him?” Adam asked, interrupting him. “Did you kill that guy?”

  
Jason set his jaws and looked at Adam for a while. “Yes, we did,” he said, looking unapologetic.

  
Adam shook his head, disappointed. “Alright. I hope you’re happy!” Adam was not genuine. He ignored the three of them and walked to his bed. There was a big black box on it. He knew it was from Blake, and was going to throw it away, but, it was open, and it had some of his mother’s belongings.

  
Tears gathered in Adam’s eyes as he saw a cardigan folded neatly inside the box. He sat on the bed and took it out. He knew it. It was hideous and brown. Adam hated brown. There were a few papers along with it, letters from his mother. They were arranged according to dates, sealed shut and had ‘return to sender’ stamped on them in red. She had written the address wrong. Adam got on his bed and gave everyone his back as he read her letters.

  
The first one she talked about how she missed talking to him, and how Jesse and Mickey were great to her.

  
In the second one, she talked about some neighbors starting to avoid her, and not invite her to their parties anymore. However, Adam’s family were supportive. They sent their signatures on the back of the letter.  
He was smiling through his tears.

  
In the third letter, she talked about a nurse that showed up and stayed with her at the house, helping her with her medication and housework. Her name was Suzan.  There was a photo attached. It was of his mother and the nurse. She was young and blond and had a youthful face.Adam figured maybe Jesse or Mickey hired her. She also talked about the lilies she had received at his parents’ anniversary.

In the fourth and fifth letter, she talked about her garden and how the new plants were growing well. There were three photos of the garden attached.

  
The last letter, she talked about having a dream about his dad. She said that he looked like and angel. Adam’s tears were falling on the paper, leaving wet spots that spread across. He put the letters aside, and grabbed a few other things. Her pictures, her silver watch his father gave to her on their one year anniversary and a knitted scarf she used to wear a lot.

  
Adam couldn’t stop all the tears falling from his eyes. He buried his face into the cardigan she made, wanting to scream. If only he was there for her, he would have held her hand and never let go. He regretted not going to the funeral so bad. He wanted to see her one more time.

  
Just one more time.

  
**~~****~~**

  
His routine became dull. He would stay up all night, holding his mother’s cardigan in his arms and her pictures all around him on the bed. It had been two weeks since he went out of that hole. Yet, he felt like he was still there. None of the other three men talked to him. Actually, they rarely talked at all. He felt like he was trapped inside another trap, with nowhere to turn. Every morning, he collected everything in the box, stood in the line in front of their cell, and then followed everyone to the chow hall.

  
He didn’t sit with Blake and the others anymore. Sometimes, he chose to sit by himself, while other days he sat with Ed, CeeLo and Flynn. There were some glances in his direction, curious, gloating, and arrogant. He ignored them all, and did nothing but kept his head down and mouth shut.

  
His work was going well, however. It was the only thing helping with the pain. He completed over 3233 sales, and had over 66 repeated clients. Usher was happy with him, complimented him whenever he could. After work, he would sit by the baseball playground. Behati still came on Sundays and her presence made everything better sometimes. He didn’t understand how he’d ever let go of her, and for whom?

  
_A murderer?_

  
Adam was getting scared for his life every day, especially now that the word about him and Blake had gotten out. Some of the men he was involved with before started harassing him, just enough to let him know they were coming his way. Fred, however, was out of sight and Adam remembered that Blake said something about him getting transferred to another prison. The idea relaxed Adam a little. He tried his best to stay close to the guards, so, no one had a chance of really getting close to him. At night, he went back to his cell, where he lay down in his bed all night, facing away from the other men.

  
One day, Adam got out of his bed a little earlier than the other men, given that he hadn’t had any sleep the entire night. It was rare for Blake to get up and stand in the line, but he hadn’t had any sleep either. He had another nightmare and stayed in his bed, reading all night. Adam couldn’t believe he used to comfort this monster.

  
That morning, Blake stood in the line, next to Adam, and the short man simply froze in his place but didn’t say a word. His heart was beating faster. He didn’t know if it was because he was scared or angry or just hurt. After they got their breakfast trays, Adam and Ed chose a table in the middle of the hall. As he sat down, Adam made sure to give his Blake his back, like he’d been doing for the past weeks.

  
Lost in a thought, Adam noticed a guy sitting next to him, taking Ed’s seat. He heard Ed’s voice, asking the guy to move and the man asking Ed to fuck off. The voice was familiar, and it sent shivers down Adam’s spine.  
It was Frank’s.

  
Adam looked at the older man, eyes wide and lips hanging open. All he could think about was Aiden. He thought Frank came to revenge his cousin’s death by taking Adam down, since Blake was too powerful for him.

  
“Remember me?” Frank said, putting a forkful of scrambled egg in his mouth. The way it fell into his beard and got stuck between the coarse hairs made Adam sick to his stomach.

  
“What do you want?” Adam asked, dragging his chair a little farther away.

  
“Do I have to have a reason to want to sit down next to you, sugar?” Frank asked, laughing out loud. When Adam didn’t answer, the guy put his fork down and looked at Adam, serious. “Let’s not tiptoe around this, okay? I’m not the guy who sugar coats shit.”

  
Adam didn’t respond.

  
“You won’t last two minutes around here with that pretty face of yours, now that you lost your sugar daddy,” Frank said, taking a glance down at Adam’s crotch for a mere second.

  
Adam was a little relieved that Frank was not there to talk about his cousin, but was still revolted by where this conversation was going.

  
“You’re a cutie pie, and you know I’m interested,” Frank said, using his fingers to push aside the collar of Adam’s shirt, exposing more of Adam’s neck. He was staring at Adam’s bruised face the whole time. “That’s just wrong, baby. This face should only be treated like a gem.” It was when Adam felt a hand on his left thigh.

  
“Please get off of me,” Adam asked nicely, not wanting to make a scene.

  
“Look, I’m not a commitment kind of man, just a couple of dips to fulfill my curiosity, and then you’re free to go or stay with my folks, if you wish. I’ll make sure no one ever bothers you or your friends again. How about that?”

  
Adam didn’t believe him.

  
“You’ll be my poker buddy, even, and you can have all the money you want.” Frank’s hand moved up his thighs, freezing Adam in his place.

  


Adam looked around him. He was alone. Ed was nowhere to be found, while CeeLo and Flynn were at the kitchen getting their breakfast. Adam found himself searching for Blake. He didn’t know why, but he just was. But, among all the eyes that were looking in his direction, he couldn’t find the ones he wanted. Adam hated that he was actually considering Frank’s offer. It was just for a couple of nights. Luke said before that Frank got bored fast. And Adam still had a lifetime to spend in this place.

  
He nodded.

  
That was when Frank cupped his face, grabbing his ear in the process, and kissed him. It was so disgusting Adam almost threw up in the guy’s mouth. But he didn’t.  
Suddenly, a hand grasped his arm and pulled him into a standing position. The action was so sudden Frank bit Adam’s lips and Adam spent a long moment in pain, touching his lips.

  
There was still a tight grip around his arm that pushed him backward, just enough to get him out of the way. His heart started beating so fast when he smelled pine, and saw whose hand it was.

  
Blake.

  
Blake grabbed Frank’s neck so hard the older man was literally standing on his tiptoes. “If you ever touch him again, I’ll squeeze your soul out of your nose!” Blake threatened, voice deep with fury. "You know how much I hate when people touch my stuff, Frank! I thought you were smarter than this!”

  
Adam was in shock. His body was frozen in place and eyes were fixed on Blake’s face. He knew Blake was strong, but to see him in action was… It was something else.  Frank was choking in Blake’s hand, but Blake was not letting go. He was going to kill him, Adam could see it in Blake’s eyes. Some guards were rushing towards them, while others held their guns from distance. Adam snapped out of it, walked to Blake and clutched at his arm.

  
“Let him go,” Adam asked, begging with his eyes. “You’re gonna kill him!”

  
The guards were too close. Adam started breathing fast, scared they were going to shoot Blake. “I’m begging you, let him go!” Adam pleaded again. His hands were shaking.

  
Blake looked at him from the corner of his eye, and his fingers relaxed around Frank’s neck. Frank fell to his knees, coughing and gasping for air. Blake just grabbed Adam’s arm again and dragged him back to his table with Luke and Jason. It was when Adam saw Ed, standing next to Luke.

  
By the time, Blake got Adam to the table, the guards had already caught up with him. “Blake, you have to come with us,” one of them said. “I’m sorry, man. It was all on tape.” They looked discreetly at a camera on the wall.

  
Blake didn’t say a word, and just nodded. He didn’t even look at Adam again. He walked in front and the guards followed him.

  
What the hell was that? Adam was still shocked and shaken. It all happened too quickly, and he barely had any time to process anything. Later he found out that Ed was the one told Blake about what Frank wanted. Luke was furious at Adam, and made sure Adam knew very well. Jason tried to calm Luke down, Ed was talking about how scared he was for Adam, and Adam was just lost.

  
**~~_****_~~**

  
It was midnight, and Adam was sitting in his bed with his back against the wall. It was dark and very late, but he could tell the other two were still up too. There was no snoring no heavy breathing, nothing. He was waiting for Blake the same as them, but couldn’t admit it.

  
Suddenly the door slightly opened, letting some light in, but no one entered. Adam’s toes curled in the sheet, pulling it towards him. He heard a voice talking.

  
“So, we have a deal or what?” the voice said. It was deep, matured. It reminded Adam of Stan from the poker game.

  
“Yeah,” Blake said. “I can send someone tomorr-”

  
The man interrupted. “No, I need you to go yourself. I don’t trust your men’s work. It has to be you! I will get a car to take you tomorrow.”

  
“You want me to get out of prison to chase one man for you?” Blake asked, before sighing. “You know, I have full confidence in my men, there’s no need for me to go.”

  
“Listen,” the man said. “This is more important than you think. They asked me for the best, and you are the best! I’ll get an official leave for you tomorrow, and send an officer with you.”

  
Blake stayed silent for a second.  “If I get out, what makes you think I’ll come back?”

  
“You came here yourself, Blake,” Stan said, sounding as if he was reminding Blake. “And if you don’t come back, well, your friends are still here.”

  
“They can take care of themselves.”  
The man stayed quiet for a second, before he took a deep breath. “How about your boyfriend?” he asked in a suggestive tone that sent shivers down Adam’s spine. “If you don’t come back. I’ll be pissed and I’ll end up making his life harder than you think!”

  
Adam’s heart leaped to his throat.

  
“You’re threatening me, Stan?” Blake said, calmly. Adam’s guess was right. It was Stan from the poker game. “With a little city boy? Really?”

  
Adam blinked.

  
“You almost broke a man’s neck for him, doesn’t that count for something?”

  
Blake laughed out loud. It was the first time Adam heard Blake’s laughter. It scared him. “Your narrow mind still amazes me, you know,” Blake said. “He’s just something I blow my frustration in. If you think I actually care that much about him, why don’t we do a little experiment?”

  
The other man didn’t respond.

  
“He’s sleeping inside. Why don’t you grab your gun and shoot him a hundred times, and see how many times I flinch?”

  
“You know I wouldn’t! It’s too loud!”

  
“Use a pillow to mute the sound. It works like a charm.”

  
Adam couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His heart ached, and tears started filling his eyes. The man stayed still for a long time, probably as shocked as Adam.

  
“You’re really as people describe you, a block of ice!” Stan said, sounding a little down. “Well, unfortunately, I still need you to do the job. The cars will arrive at ten o’clock in the morning.”

  
Blake didn’t respond.

  
“Do I still pay through your men at Nashville?”  
“Yeah,” Blake said. “But, I don’t need your money for this. Let’s just call it a favor.”

  
“Yeah?” Stan sounded unconvinced. “What do you want in return?”

  
Blake stayed quiet for a second. “I’ll tell you when I need you,” He said. “And Stan? ”

  
“Yeah?”

  
“Think twice before threatening me again,” Blake warned. “I know you think you’re on a solid ground here because you know Carmen, but if you ever threaten me again, I’ll debone you. Alive.”

  
Stan stayed silent for the longest time before Adam heard the sound of his footsteps.  “The cars will be here at ten.”

  
A few second later, the door opened wider and Blake walked in. Then it was closed again by some guards. Adam could hear Blake’s footsteps towards his bed, and soon after the lamp light was turned on and Blake sat on the bed. 

  
“I hope you die,” Adam said, looking at Blake. “And then burn in hell a million times.”  
Blake’s eyes were wide, looking at Adam. 

 “Why are you up?” Blake asked.

  
Adam got out of his bed and walked to Blake with one intention – punch him right in the face. His fists were solid at his side, ready to hurt the taller man the way he hurt Adam. “You, son of a bitch, what did I ever do to you?!”

  
Adam raised his hand to hit him, but Blake got up and stopped him. “Fuck you!” Adam yelled. “Fuck you, you fucking asshole! Just drop dead! I should have just let the guards kill you!”

  
Tears were hot in Adam’s eyes as they looked in Blake’s cold globes. His other hand tried to punch him again, but Blake stopped that too.  
“Get off me, you fucking killer!” Adam tried to get away, but Blake was not letting him. “Why are you doing this? Do you really think this low of me? You son of a bitch, I hope everyone you love dies in front of you, you cruel jerk!”

  
“Adam!” He heard Jason’s voice, calling. Then two arms around his waist pulled him away from Blake. Blake let go of Adam’s hands and turned to sit back on his bed.  
“Calm down!” Jason said.

  
“Don’t you fucking dare ask me to calm down! You don’t have the right to ask me to do anything!” Adam then looked at Blake. “I hope you fucking die alone and miserable with no one around to comfort your cold ass!”

  
Blake still said nothing.

  
Adam got himself out of their grip and just stomped back to his bed. He sat down, holding his head in his hands. He couldn’t believe that he allowed that monster to ever touch him. He spent the entire night up, burning with his anger, even after the lights were off, and everyone already went back to sleep like nothing happened.

  
He was the one to blame. Adam was the one who let him use him and manipulate him into thinking that he was actually a decent man. It was Adam’s fault.

  
~~********~~

  
The morning came, and Adam woke up to voices talking behind him. It was Blake, Luke and Jason. Luke seemed worried, Jason was quiet the whole time, while Blake sounded the same, focused.

  
“So, when are you going to be back?” Luke asked, sighing.

  
“I don’t know,” Blake said. “Maybe two weeks?”

  
“Aren’t you gonna tell him?” Luke asked. “Or, you’re just gonna leave him like that?”

  
“There’s nothing to tell,” Blake said. “Just let him rest. He’s probably tired.”

  
Adam wondered if they were talking about him.

  
“Be careful, man,” Jason finally said, sounding more worried than Luke. “And please, get some men to watch over you! If people find out about this leave, they’ll try and use it to get to you.”

  
“I’ll see you later,” Blake said, ignoring Jason’s warning. With that, the sounds dimmed and the three inmates were out of the door.


	17. Chapter 17

It had been two days since Blake left, and it was as if a silencing spell was cast over the cell. Adam was still confused by the fact that Blake was allowed out this easily, but later, he found out that inmates could actually leave sometimes, for formal events or emergencies so long as they were attended by a law enforcement officer. As angry as Adam was, he was starting to wonder where Blake was. Luke and Jason looked under the weather, and Luke, especially, looked like he wanted to empty a gun in Adam’s head. Adam ignored them and focused more on his job, which soon became his number one priority and the only thing that kept him going. After what Blake had done to Frank, no one dared to look in Adam’s eyes, or even walk by him. It was the only good thing Blake had left with him.

On the seventh day of Blake’s leave, Adam had an unusual visit. The guards took him to the fourth floor of the main building, which was not where he usually got his telephone visits. For a moment, Adam thought he was being led to another conjugal visit, which he was willing to see through all the way, if it was Behati looking for another chance. But he couldn’t be more wrong.

He was led to another room that he had never visited before. The room was a perfect square, small and didn’t have much. There was a rectangular table in the middle, a ceiling white florescent lamp, a mirror on the wall and four metal chairs. A tall man stood at the table, holding a few files in his hand. He was in a black suit with square pockets, white shirt and blue tie. His face was long, and his eyes hid behind a thick pair of glasses. “Mr. Levine?” he said, offering his hand for Adam.

Adam was a little taken aback by the stranger knowing his name, but shook his hand anyway.

“Hi, my name is Carson Daly. I’m a attorney for The H Law Group. It’s nice to meet you.”

Adam’s eyes went wide. He recognized the name almost immediately. Carson was a famous lawyer, a huge name in the industry. He represented a lot of celebrities and politicians. What the hell was he doing there?

“Hey, I know you,” Adam said, still shaking the man’s hand. “You are in the news!”

Carson smiled, and looked at their hands. It was when Adam realized that he was still holding the man’s hand. So he apologized and let go.

“It’s okay,” the man said, gesturing for Adam to take a seat. Adam did. “I am not sure whether or not you have been informed, but I am going to represent you in court. Today we–”

“Wow, wow!” Adam interrupted, blinking a few times. “Urm, what court?”

Carson put a file on the table and began to tuck the rest inside his briefcase. “There is evidence, new evidence, found in the crime scene, Mr. Levine. Yesterday, I managed to issue a court order to reopen your case.”

Adam forgot how to breathe for a few seconds, eyes fixated on the other man and jaw on the floor. The sounds dimmed around him, and for a second everything moved too slow as he tried to process the few little words that came out of the lawyer’s mouth.

“Mr. Levine?”

Adam shook it off. “Sorry. You mean I’m gonna get out?”

Daly held his hand up as if to stop Adam. “That is not what I’m saying, Mr. Levine. I’m saying that there’s a chance. All the evidence we have, at the moment, are circumstantial. In another word, I can’t build a solid case around it.”

“But if you can prove it, I can get out?”

Carson smiled. “Yes, if,” he said, gently.

Adam felt a huge weight drop off his shoulders. “Good, good! How can I help?” he asked, dragging his chair closer.

Carson pulled out a few pictures and put them face-down in front of Adam. “Right now, I’m going to ask you a few questions about the night of the murder,” he said, before he pointed at a camera behind him with his thumb. “This camera will start recording our conversation once you’re ready. I want you to answer my questions only. Don’t add any unnecessary information that I didn’t ask for, and please save your questions until after the questions are over.”

“Yes, sir,” Adam said, a little nervous now. It’d been a while, and he wasn’t sure he was going to remember all the details.

Carson gave him a reassuring smile, before he used a remote to turn on the camera. A red flash appeared above the lenses.

“Alright.” Daly turned one of the photos. “Do you know who this is?”

Adam looked at the photo. His heart throbbed. He nodded. “That’s Mary, my... my neighbor’s daughter.”

Carson nodded. “That’s right. She was found dead at your house the night of March 14th. Could you walk me through what happened, starting from the moment you left your workplace?”

Adam nodded. “Urm, sure.” Adam spent a few seconds to recall what happened. When it started coming back to him, he looked up at Carson. “After work, I went for a couple of drinks with some friends. Scot had a big commission, so he invited us all for drinks. At eleven, I took a taxi home, but the cab driver dropped me off at the wrong address. I had to walk the short distance.”

“Do you remember anything about the taxi driver or the car itself?”

Adam tried to remember anything, but failed. “No, I’m sorry. It was just a cab. I didn’t pay too much attention to it.”

Carson nodded. “It’s okay. You can continue.”

Adam was mad he couldn’t remember the taxi driver, or anything useful about it. Still, he continued. “When I got home, I found the door open and the lights were switched on. I remember thinking it was a robbery and went in to check if anything was stolen. I saw blood on the floor, and everywhere. Then, next to the dining table, Mary was lying down there with…” He paused, shaken with the memory. “She was there with a lot of blood under her. She had the phone on her ear, saying things that I didn’t hear very well. When she saw me, she started saying my name. And then she just stopped talking.”

“Did you touch the body?” Carson asked.

Adam nodded. “Yes. I thought she passed out, I didn’t know that she died. I was just trying to wake her up.”

Carson didn’t comment, but only wrote something in his notepad. “When you came in to your house, you had a bag, a suitcase,” Carson said, turning the second photo. “Is this your suitcase?”

Adam nodded. “Yeah. I always leave it on the table next to the door.”

“The table is on the left, because you’re left-handed, right?”

“Yeah,” he said, holding his left hand up for a mere second.

“Who has access to your house, Mr. Levine?”

Adam thought about it for a second. “My mother, my fiancée, Carrie, and me.”

The man paused for a second before he put the pen down. “Have you ever had any sexual intercourse with Mary, or got involved with her in anyway?”

“No! Well, I invited her once to a New Year’s Eve party at my house. She was visiting her parents at the time, so I thought why not? She was my age. She acted really weird that night, and a little awkward. She made everyone uncomfortable, so I never invited her back.”

Carson nodded before he turned the third photo. “Is that your shirt?” Then he turned the fourth photo. “Are those your shoes?”

Adam nodded. “Yes.”

“You’re size eleven?”

“Yes, sir.”

Carson turned the fifth and the sixth photos. They were from the crime scene. “Last question. Can you find anything around here missing or out of place?”

Adam looked at the two photos carefully. There wasn’t anything different about the living room, or the kitchen, except... “This.” Adam pointed at the couch. “This, I am a little OCD. I would never leave this blanket on the couch.”

“Could you be wrong abo–?”

Adam interrupted. “No. No, I hate when people put things on my couch or out of place in general. I’m sorry, but it just irritates me."

Carson smiled. “It’s okay. Anything else?”

Adam looked in the photos for a couple of seconds before he noticed the wine glasses. “Er, this, too.”

“What is it?”

“There’s one missing. I have six wine glasses, there’s one missing. I usually put them at the bar. There’s one on the floor next to the blood, and only four on the bar.”

“Did you see your fiancée that night at your place, Mr. Levine?”

Adam shook his head. “She was in Boston for a fashion show. She’s a model.”

Carson nodded. “Alright, well, that’s all the questions for today.” Carson stopped the recording. “I will follow up the investigation and keep you updated when possible. If you have any questions, I still have two minutes left. So, please go ahead.”

“Do you think it could work? Prove that I am not the killer?”

Carson smiled as he collected his files and paper in his brief case. “Yes. Everything is possible. If I find out you’re innocent, I will do everything in my power to help you get out. That’s a promise.”

Adam smiled too, and adjusted in his seat. “Who hired you?” he asked, a little curious.

Carson got up and took the memory card out of the camera. “I cannot reveal that. But, I can tell you that it’s a very special friend of yours.”

Adam’s mouth fell open. His eyes stopped blinking for a moment, and he just stared at Carson for the longest time. Carson shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable in his place. A very special friend? He remembered the nurse at the hospital saying that the chocolate was from a very special friend, and that special friend turned out to be...

“Adam?” Carson called, gently. “Is everything okay?”

“That special friend, is it Blake?” Adam asked. He didn’t need an answer to know that it’s true.

Carson set his jaw and sucked in a deep breath. “Have a great day, Mr. Levine.”

With that, Carson was gone, leaving Adam dumbfounded, shocked and confused. Blake? Why the hell would Blake hire a lawyer for him? Why would he even care? The guards grabbed Adam arms, pulled him up and led him out of the room after handcuffing him behind his back. His head was swimming still, confused as hell and bouncing from one theory to the other.

When he went back to his cell, he found Luke sitting on his bed, reading. Adam walked to him, stood by his bed, and kept looking at him, still too shocked to talk. When Luke decided to look at him they stared at each other for a couple of moments before Luke sighed, grunted and sat up. “What?!” he asked, sharply.

Adam’s hands curled into two balls at his sides. “Why did he hire a lawyer for me?”

Luke frowned. “Huh? What are you talking about?”

Adam’s jaw clenched. “A lawyer, Luke, a lawyer, you’re deaf? I’ve just had a visit from a lawyer, who’s just told me that Blake hired him!”

Luke snorted. “No one outside the prison would use Blake’s name in here. It’s not him.”

“Then, who the hell is that ‘very special friend’ who cares enough to hire the great Carson Daly?” Luke’s jaw dropped as Adam continued. “Because I don’t know if you noticed or not, but I don’t hang out with millionaires!”

“Carson?” Luke was looking at Adam now, dumbfounded. “Why the hell – Oh, for god’s sake,” he grunted again, rubbing his face in his hands. “That stubborn idiot!”

“So it’s him, isn’t it?”

Luke’s head snapped up at him and gave him a murderous glare. “Of course it’s him, you dumb idiot! He said something about you being innocent, but I didn’t think he’d actually...? God damnit, Blake, I told him it’s dangerous to visit the usual stops!”

“Why would he go there if it’s dangerous?” Adam asked, confused.

Luke just gave him a look as if he was trying to set his head on fire by sheer force of will power. “What do you think?”

“What?” Adam asked, sharply. “Obviously, he wouldn’t be doing it out of the good in his heart, because he does not have one. So, if he’s doing it out of pity, tell him that I don’t need his help. I can take good care of myself! And if he’s doing it so I would crawl back into his lap, tell him that it’s over. I don’t want him anywhere near me!” Then, Adam turned around and walked away.

Luke jerked out of the bed and grabbed Adam’s arm. “Are you fucking kidding me? That’s what you have to say, when he’s literally putting his life on the line for your miserable ass?”

Adam yanked his arm away from Luke’s grip. “Don’t fucking touch me!” he yelled. “And yes, I didn’t ask him to do shit for me. I don’t need him!”

“For god’s sake, what’s wrong with you? You know, I used to think you’re just dumb, but now I don’t even think you have a brain at all. You should be thankful he believes in you enough to get you a lawyer, you ungrateful fuck! After what you had said about his family, I’m surprised you’re still alive at all!”

Adam snorted. “He had it coming, buddy!” he yelled. “First, he said I’m worthless, turned me into a murderer and then practically told Stan to shoot me like I’m sort of a practice target! So, no thank you, I don’t need him my life.”

“He didn’t turn you into a murderer. You barely did anything at all! We would have killed him with or without your help. You only made things faster for us!” Luke said, clenching his fists on the side of his face. “Do you even know what Aiden did to deserve his death? No you don’t, because you’re an ignorant little shit!”

“I’m sure whatever he did wasn’t this bad!” Adam yelled back, holding up his hand. “You can’t just go on, killing innocent people for their tiniest mistakes!”

“Do you think Aiden was innocent?” Luke asked in disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me?! That son of a bitch!” He was so angry that he couldn’t find the right words. “Six years ago, that man raped and killed two 13-year-old girls. They were not the first and were not the last!”

Adam blinked once. “What?”

“Has Jason ever told you about his daughter?” Luke asked, eyebrows knitted in the middle.

“I didn’t know he had children,” Adam said.

Luke shook his head. “He doesn’t. Not anymore.” He paused for a second then continued. “Her name was Jenna, named after her grandmother. Aiden killed her after raping her and her best friend, Sara.”

Adam’s eyes went wide. “Wha... What?”

Luke sounded so hurt. “It was too hard for the entire family. Jason’s wife couldn’t deal with losing her, and ended her life four months after the funeral.”

“What?”

“Blake didn’t lie when he said that Aiden stole something from Jason,” Luke pointed out. “Aiden stole Jason’s family!”

Adam took a second to process the information, and then he said, “Why didn’t he just tell the police?”

“Aiden got caught, but Frank made sure his baby cousin got out the next morning.” Luke put his hands together. “These are the type of people we kill, Adam, people the system’s choosing to look over their mistakes. Not just in the US, but everywhere.”

Adam blinked a couple of times.

“There are horrible people in this world, people you don’t even see because they’re hidden behind looks and money.”

Adam gulped. “So, you don’t kill innocent people?”

Luke sighed. “Of course not! This is not what we do. The Deer are a clean organization. You come to us when the government fails you. We look into the cases, we investigate before we act, and we never, and I mean never, take an innocent soul. We don’t even kill them most of the time! We get enough shit on them and report them. If they still get away with it, then we act.”

“There are more of you around?”

“Yes.” Luke said, rolling up his left sleeve, showing a tattoo. It was the exact same tattoo as on Blake’s forearm. “You can recognize us with this tattoo, two fences and a deer’s footprints.”

“What does it mean?”

“Those two fences represent order. As long as you’re between them, you’re fine. If you go past them, you’ll be hunted down.”

“Is Blake a part of it?”

Luke snorted out a laugh, surprising Adam. “He’s our boss, dumbass!”

Adam’s breath flinched. “Your– What? You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

Luke shook his head. “Haven’t you seen the man?”

“Yes, but he’s in prison!”

“Is he being treated as a prisoner?” Luke asked.

Adam shook his head.

“He’s here by choice, you know. He gave himself up.”

“Why would he do this?” Adam was confused.

“He needed some time to think.” Luke fixed his posture.

Adam rolled his eyes. “So, instead of going to the Bahamas, he chose the prison.” Adam was shaking his head. “Why I am not even surprised? Is he even capable of thinking like a normal human being?”

Luke got angry again. “Hey, hey! You don’t know what Blake has been through. He’s been through too much for one man! What you said about his family was too much, and too cruel!”

“And what he said about me wasn’t horrible? He literally asked a man to shoot me to death!”

“He was bluffing, trying to protect you, you fucking idiot!” Luke snapped. “You don’t know anything! You don’t read between the damn lines!”

“What lines? Why are you defending him?!” Adam yelled back. “You heard what he said!”

Luke shook his head. “He’s a good guy. He’s...” Luke tried to calm down and closed his eyes. “His parents died when he was twelve.”

“So, that gives him the right to trash everybody and...?”

“NO, Adam, his entire family was killed right in front of his eyes, in one night! He was twelve and saw them bleed to death!” Luke corrected, making the words freeze in Adam’s throat. “Three spoiled brats were too angry that Blake’s father kicked them out of the college football team. On Blake’s 12th birthday, they broke into Blake’s house with guns. They killed Blake’s mother and sisters first. Then they shot his father. Blake hid under the bed, but they found him, and – damn it. “He paused. “The neighbors heard the gunshots and called the police, but they’d already shot Blake in the chest.”

A cold shiver shot down Adam’s spine, and he couldn’t stand anymore, so he sat down on the edge of Blake’s bed.

“They were caught, but they got out within two weeks, due to technicalities. The hospital managed to help Blake and saved his life,” Luke continued. “What you said that night? Shit, Adam!”

Adam gulped. “I didn’t mean to! I didn’t know! He never tells me anything!”

It stayed silent for a while. Adam felt horrible for what he’d said to Blake. He basically opened up an old wound and shoved salt and alcohol inside it. “Did he kill these men?”

Luke nodded. “He’d been looking for them ever since he joined Mr. Jonathan’s house, and…”

Adam frowned slightly. “Who is that?”

Luke smiled. “He’s an Italian man, our last ‘boss.’” Luke quoted the word “boss” with his fingers. “We called him ‘Father’. He was a wealthy man, who brought kids like Blake to his mansion and took care of them. His mansion was like a huge military campus. He trained his kids to look after themselves. There were teachers, personal trainers, and weapon specialists.” Luke took a pause, as if he was recalling these memories. “When Blake joined us, he was a little different.” Luke smiled. “He barely talked to anyone, and only focused on his training. He wouldn’t sleep sometimes and spent the night training. By the age of sixteen, he’d mastered Judo and Taekwondo, and had learned how to use over fifteen different weapons, guns, shotguns, bows and arrows, spears, knives, swords, et cetera. When he was seventeen, he asked to join Mr. Jonathan on his tours, and killed for the first time when he was eighteen. Mr. Jonathan kept talking about that bullet for days, saying that Blake got it from the first time, and that he shot a man from five blocks away right between his eyes. He was born to be a sniper, he said.”

Adam was not sure how to feel, impressed with Blake or scared. Was it really okay to kill, even for that reason? Adam figured it was best to kill these people than have them commit more crimes, so in a way, he was impressed.

“He was so scary that some teachers at the mansion couldn’t even look him in the eyes,” Luke continued. “Mr. Jonathan loved him so much, though. Blake was, like, his pet, his project. When he was twenty-two, Mr. Jonathan traveled to Germany for treatment.”

“What did he have?”

“Live cancer. It spread out to parts of the pancreas,” Luke said. “The children Mr. Jonathan would adopt would always leave after college, rarely came home or called really. There wasn’t much to come back to anyway. Only training and reading. Thankfully, Blake managed to gather them all, and Father died among his children.” He paused, lost in a thought.

“How did Blake do that?”

“Hmm? Ah, as I said, when Blake was twenty-two years old, Mr. Jonathan traveled to Germany for treatment and left him in charge for five and a half months. While our father was gone, Blake decided he wanted to try something out. He called out a meeting for all the former hunters and offered them a permanent job. At that time, our organization did a few jobs here and there, but nothing really major.”

“You mean, like, it wasn’t your main priority?”

Luke nodded. “Mr. Jonathan was never really a leader. He was a kind man, who raised some kids and helped some of them get their revenge. Blake was different. He wanted to help everybody, not just the people within the mansion. He divided the hunters into squads. Each squad had five members and a leader. For the first month, there were only two squads of us, but it was more than enough to spread the word. Most of the former members came back, ready to work. Most of us don’t have families, so it was like a big family reunion when Blake gathered us. During these short months, Blake finished over nine jobs with his team, and supervised twenty more. With his idea, we managed to spread around, be in more than one place at once, and finish more tasks.”

“Is this how Blake became…?”

Luke interrupted. “Yeah. Mr. Jonathan changed his will eight months before he died, and gave Blake everything, his companies, his houses, his schools, his chair, everything. Blake was only twenty-three at the time, and still in college.”

“Didn’t people get angry? I mean, he was too young. I’m sure there were older men!”

“Well, there were some men who didn’t like it. Kristopher, Jesse and Louis.” Luke counted on his fingers. “Louis was the worse, since he was Mr. Jonathan’s biological son.”

Adam’s eyes went wide. “He chose Blake over his own son?”

“Yes. Louis was an aggressive man and a drug addict. He used cocaine and steroids. Mr. Jonathan didn’t know how to control him, and didn’t have the heart to throw him out. Blake’s first decision was to kick him out of the house. Of course, Blake left him with some money and bought him a house in Italy.”

Adam didn’t know what to say, and it stayed quiet for a long time. He never imagined Blake’s history to be so busy, so loud. The thing was, it explained a lot about Blake, why he hates his birthday, his nightmares, the anger in his eyes, the scars, everything made sense now.

“How did you become friends?”

Luke shrugged. “When I was younger, I used to be skinny and short, believe it or not. People used to make fun of me a lot, calling me ‘Shorty Panties’. A few weeks after Blake had joined us, I noticed that they stopped calling me that. They started avoiding me and one of them even apologized in front of everyone. Later, I found out that Blake asked them to stop annoying me.”

“Yeah?”

Luke smiled back. “It was always like that. He would do these small things for me, but never talk about them. I learned how to look for these things and treasured them. That’s how you know your place in his heart, with these little things he does when you’re not looking.”

Adam bowed his head. “What about with me? He never did any…”

Luke grunted in frustration, interrupted Adam. “For god’s sake!” he yelled, startling Adam. “How could you not see?”

“See what? What am I missing?”

Luke was about to lose his mind. “Why do you think Rees has suddenly decided to branch out here? And ...”

Adam’s eyes went wide. That name. “Wait, wait! How did you know about Rees? That’s the company I work for at the library!”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Like you didn’t know that Blake owns the damn thing!”

Adam shook his head, looking at Luke, dumbfounded.

Luke frowned. “You really didn’t?”

Adam shook his head again. “No! How the hell would I know? And why would he branch out here?”

Luke looked at him for a few seconds as if trying to decide if Adam was serious. “Because you said that you missed your job as a salesman. This is the closest he could do to bring your job to you. He loses 3% of the prices for the prison’s owners so you can be a salesman again or whatever!”

Adam’s heart skipped a beat. His lips were hanging open, in surprise. “W...”

“And the nurse that stayed with your mother?” Luke continued. “He hired her when you said that you worry about your mother’s health!”

“He did?”

“Yeah. He took care of her hospital bills, the funeral and everything.”

Adam felt his heart ache. “Why did he let me think that he hated me?”

Luke shrugged. “He’s not a man of many words, Adam. As I said before, you have to pay attention to really see.”

A moment of silence passed between them. Adam still couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“He didn’t mean what he said that night,” Luke said, gently. “There are a lot of people who’re after him, Adam. If they knew how much you mean to him, they’re gonna use you to get to him. I mean, they used us! I’m sure Jason showed you the scar on his arm…?”

A cold shiver traveled down the back of Adam’s neck.

“That’s what happens to the people Blake cares for,” Luke said, looking sorry. “But we don’t mind going through this for him, because we know he’d do the same for us, even if he doesn’t say it. Besides, unlike you, we know how to take care of ourselves. You’re his weak spot.”

“This is... This can’t be right! Why are you telling me this now? I thought you’d be happy that we’d broken up!”

Luke sighed. “Because he’s been a mess since that day he sent you to solo! He barely ate anything, barely slept, barely talked and he barely even finished his book. He would just sit down and stare at your bed or chair. He’s stubborn, he wouldn’t have admitted it to save his life. I may not like you, but he does.”

Adam wrapped his arms around himself. His brain had a lot of things to process, a lot of guilt to filter through and a lot of unsorted feelings. He’d wished Blake death, he remembered in the middle of the mess in his brain. What if he actually died? His heart ached. “Is he okay? Where is he?”

Luke shrugged. “Stan asked him to follow a target.”

“Can I call, or, I don’t know, send a letter?”

“No. He contacts us. We don’t really know where he is or what he’s doing. But yesterday, he sent us a message saying that he might take longer.”

Adam bowed his head.

“He’s gonna be fine. I hope.”

“Would you tell me when there’s news from him?”

“Of course, only if you promise to go easy on Jason. He really likes you, and still feels guilty for getting you involved. The poker game was kind of his idea.”

Adam smiled and nodded. “I’ll talk to him,” he said as he looked at Luke. “But…”

Luke’s eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

“You didn’t say why you and Jason were brought to that mansion.”

Luke stayed quiet for a few seconds, and then sighed. “Jason’s father was a mentor at the house. Jason and Blake are around the same age, so they were in the same classes. Jason was never really adopted by Mr. Jonathan, but he would live with us occasionally. He only joined after his wife killed herself.”

Adam looked at Luke carefully now. “And you?”

Luke cleared his throat. For the first time ever, he looked flustered. “My... I was five when my father died. He was a cop, and some colleagues killed him because he was going to report their ‘Side business’.” Luke quoted “side business” with his fingers.

“I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Luke shook his head. “It was a long time ago.” He took a deep breath and let it out, sharply. “Anyways, don’t forget to talk with Jason, it’s important.”

Adam nodded, understanding why Luke suddenly changed the subject. “I won’t.”

“Thank you.”

 

~~******** ~~

 

Adam couldn’t sleep that night at all. He was glad he found out the truth about Blake, but still, didn’t know what to do with it, especially now that Carson showed up, basically, promising him release. If Carson failed to prove him innocent, that meant that Adam had a lifetime to spend in prison. In other words, he’d be with Blake, and the idea of being with him for a lifetime didn’t seem so bad. He enjoyed being with Blake (when he wasn’t being an ass), and now that he knew a little about him, Adam felt like he wanted to know more, be with him more.

However, if Carson managed to get him out, then what would happen next? Did they break up again, or stay together? If they stayed together, how were they going to arrange things? A part of Adam didn’t mind seeing Blake only once a week, but the other part wasn’t convinced that this could ever work. What about the people trying to get to Blake? If they found out about Adam, then...?

 _Shit_.

Adam got out of his bed and went to Blake’s. It had been a long time since he slept in it and the hint Blake’s cologne still on the pillows overwhelmed him. He couldn’t stop inhaling it. He’d missed that idiot. He wanted to be with him. Behind his closed eyes, a dangerous thought passed his mind. For a moment, he didn’t mind the danger or the risks that came with Blake. He could sign up for some self-defense classes, get a gun and install alarms and security systems in his house. He also didn’t mind visiting Blake only once a week. There were a lot of married people who functioned this way, why couldn’t they?

They could do it.

Adam fell asleep to the memory of Blake’s body curled up behind him, his arms around his waist and lips on his nape. He wished he could have this at that moment.

Days passed slowly without Blake around. As promised, Adam talked to Jason, and stopped rejecting him whenever he tried to talk to him. Jason seemed so happy with that, and hugged Adam so tight and even apologized for getting Adam involved with it. For some reason, Adam didn’t feel like he needed the apology, and even was happy that he could help. Jason was a good man, and didn’t deserve what happened to his family.

Charismas came, and the prison got a choir that sang a couple of Christmas carols. The kitchen had some holiday themed menu, which was pretty much all the celebration they allowed for the prisoners, in addition to one hour less at work. The New Year’s Eve followed without Blake still, which was disappointing and a little sad. Not that anything special happened in the prison, but still, Adam wished he could give Blake a kiss that night.

He was still indecisive about what he wanted with Blake. Their relationship didn’t seem to have a bright future. There was no way to get involved with Blake without risking his life and Blake’s. It seemed that choosing to be away from Blake was the logical solution. This way, he wouldn’t get hurt and Blake wouldn’t have to jeopardize his life for anyone. As painful as it was, it was the right thing to do.

He held on to this thought and made his mind to thank Blake probably for his help, tell him he was not angry anymore and that they can’t be together from that point forwards. It was easy to imagine this conversation, easy to memorize his lines and easy to walk away from Blake. Everything was ready in his mind. All he needed now was Blake to be around so he could tell him that in one mouthful.

But his plan went out the window when Blake finally got back.

Adam was not sure what woke him up. It was still night, and quiet. His eyes opened slightly and found that the light on the table was turned on. He closed his eyes, shielding his eyes from the light. With his eyes closed, he felt the mattress tip and the smell Blake’s cologne lingering around. It was more intense, more present. Adam gave out a soft sigh and smiled, like he was dreaming. He heard a soft thud on the surface of the table, and then the mattress tilted again. Adam opened his eyes and saw someone sitting on the bed.

It took him a few seconds to realize that it was Blake. His heart fluttered and stomach flipped. He watched the other man’s back for a few seconds, wanting him to turn around. Blake was wearing a white shirt, black vest and pants. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showing off his tattoo and his body hair. The image was so foreign that Adam was entirely convinced he was dreaming. He reached over and put his hand on Blake’s back.

It was warm, real.

Adam started breathing so fast, and just kept feeling Blake’s back and sides. Finally he looked up, and his eyes met Blake’s blue globes. They stayed quiet for the longest time, not saying a word. All the worry Adam had suddenly dropped off his shoulders, overwhelming him with new emotions. There was no way he could break up with Blake. He just couldn’t say the words, not even in a damn dream. Tears filled his eyes, and rolled down his cheek. Blake reached and wiped it away with his thumb. Adam’s breathing hitched when he felt Blake’s skin on his. It was not a dream.

“Why are you crying?” Blake asked, feeling Adam’s face some more. His voice was deep. “Did someone hurt you?”

Adam looked him in the eyes and nodded. Blake’s face turned serious, a little angry. “Who is it?” His voice was firm.

The corner of Adam’s lips twitched as he looked down. “You did.”

Blake didn’t respond and his hand immediately pulled away. They stayed quiet for a few seconds. When Adam looked up at Blake, he saw him staring down at his hands. He looked hurt, in pain. The muscles on his jaw were clenching and flexing. Carefully, Adam got up on his knees, and moved closer to Blake. He held Blake’s cheeks in his hands, and lifted his head up. Blake’s face felt exactly the same, fit right in Adam’s hands.

“You hurt me a lot, jerk,” Adam said as he leaned over. Blake’s cologne was getting more intense, comforting. He pressed their foreheads together for a few seconds, feeling Blake’s warmth radiating from his body. Surely, he leaned over and skimmed a small kiss on Blake’s lips. “I should hate you.”

Adam kissed him again, this time he didn’t want just a peck. He wanted more. He wanted everything. It took a second for Blake to react, and another to adjust his position and face Adam. But when he caught up, his hot, wet tongue brushed over Adam’s bottom lip, and went in Adam’s welcoming mouth. It was like a spark that lit Adam’s entire body up, and melted every inch of him into Blake’s mouth. He felt alive, more alive during that kiss than he’d ever felt in the thirty years he’d lived on earth. He felt at home.

The kiss was deep, passionate. Adam got even closer and sat in Blake’s lap, not breaking the kiss for one second. Blake’s arms went around him, strong, possessive and caring. Adam moaned into the kiss and licked in Blake’s mouth more. He felt Blake’s hair, body, arms, and chest. He couldn’t get enough, he needed more of everything.

“I need to change this,” Blake said, punctuating his words with small kisses on Adam’s lips.

Adam mewled and shook his head. “Please leave them on for longer? I like’em.”

He could feel Blake’s smile on his lips. “My gun,” Blake said, pulling away. “Just give me a minute.”

Adam nodded, feeling Blake’s chest up and down, eyeing at his lips like a hungry animal watching its prey. “Okay, hurry up.”

Blake took off his watch, and put it on the table. Then the gun followed and a few things that were in his pockets. A paper fell out his pocket between them. It was folded in half, wrinkly and cheap looking. It didn’t fit with anything that came out of Blake’s pockets. Adam grabbed it and opened it as Blake put his wallet on the table.

When the paper was finally spread, and his eyes fell on the content, Adam’s eyes couldn’t blink, and his chest was filled with all these emotions that he couldn’t wrap.

It was the picture Adam drew for Blake on his birthday. The one Blake supposedly threw away. Adam looked up in Blake’s face with his heart beating almost too fast. He wanted to cry.

Blake finally noticed the paper in Adam’s hand and he stopped moving. They looked at each other for the longest moment, before Blake reached over and kissed Adam, almost apologetically. “You said it would look good as a tattoo,” Blake said, feeling Adam’s cheek with the back of his fingers. “I wanted it on my back, but they said it would look better on my chest.”

Adam’s eyes went wide, chest rising up and down heavily. He felt Blake’s chest with his shaking hands, not sure where exactly the tattoo was. Blake held his hand and put it on top of his right Pectoral muscle. Adam’s breathing hitched as his teeth dug into his bottom lip. “I want to see it,” Adam said, in a whisper. “Please.”

Blake nodded.

Adam grabbed on Blake’s shoulder as they kissed once more, before he started undoing the buttons on the vest shirt, fumbling with the buttons, and watching Blake in the process. Blake kissed him a couple of times on the lips and neck, before he shrugged the vest off his shoulders, and helped with the shirt. He pulled his shirt out of his pants and undid the button with Adam. When the shirt was fully open, Adam’s eyes fell on the inked skin on Blake’s chest, just above Blake’s right nipple.

It a tattoo of Adam’s drawing, an exact replicate.

Adam almost cried. Again. It was perfect, much better than he imagined. “Oh my god! This is...!”

Adam couldn’t help himself. He started kissing Blake like a crazy man. He never knew he could feel like that, like he was out of control, like there were no boundaries for what he wanted. His hands felt the newly-inked skin before he leaned over and kissed every inch of it.

“I guess you like it?” He whispered in Adam’s ear.

“You can’t expect me to stand still in front of good ink, Shelton!”

They kissed again. This time Blake maneuvered them farther onto the bed. He pushed Adam backwards and they were lying down, making out on the soft light. Adam felt him, all of him, pressed against his body, and he inhaled Blake’s shampoo, soap and the cologne that was just him. He was melting, every inch of him was dissolving into Blake.

Adam was moaning, feeling in Blake’s hair. They kissed again and again as Adam reached and unbuckled the belt on Blake. Blake sat down on his heels, pulled the belt off, and slid his shirt off his shoulder, revealing clenched abs and bulging biceps. Adam bit his lip, wanting to taste all that. But first, clothes off.

His shirt and top were the first to go, followed by his pants. When he was done, Blake leaned over and started kissing his neck and chest. Adam groaned. Blake bit at his ear and licked all around it. Adam was already hard, hot and desperate, hands roaming around trembling. Blake reached over and grabbed his dick over his boxers, as he kissed his lips. He held Blake’s face in his hands again and deepened the kiss. Blake moaned in his mouth. His hand slipped under Adam’s underwear and grabbed his hard cock and started stroking, rubbing it gently.

It took an embarrassing five seconds for Adam to cum in Blake’s hand.  
They looked at each other for a few seconds, both surprised. Adam grunted and hid his face in both hands away from Blake. He felt Blake’s chest and stomach moving as he giggled in his ear.

“Don’t look at me,” Adam said, hiding in Blake’s neck now. “I hate you. I hate you, I hate you!”

Blake kissed his ear. “I missed you too,” he said, making Adam’s heart skip a beat. Blake put a featherlike kiss on Adam’s lips, before he lay down next to him and spread an arm under his neck.

As mortified as Adam was, he turned to Blake and they cuddled. He used Blake’s chest as a pillow, so his head was tucked nicely under Blake’s chin. Blake brought the covers to their bodies, and pulled it up to their chests. His warm hands touched Adam’s hair and stroked it gently, making Adam sigh in content. He’d missed that.

They stayed quiet for a few minutes, before Adam edged his head up just enough to look at Blake.

“Thank you.”

Blake blinked once, and frowned. “For what?”

“You know, the lawyer, my mother, and the nurse.” Adam counted softly. “You... you made me think you hated me.”

“That was not my intention.”

Adam nodded. “I know.” He got up slightly to kiss Blake. “I know, but you should have at least said something! You never talk to me, or tell me what’s on your mind, or even include me in your conversations! You can’t just expect me to read your thoughts.”

Blake didn’t respond. He just looked at Adam as if he knew he was at fault.

“Blake,” Adam cupped Blake’s cheek. “Talk to me. That’s all I’m asking. I don’t want to feel like an accessory to you, something you throw away when you’re done.”

Blake’s lips parted to say something but hesitated.

Adam was a little disappointed when Blake didn’t say anything. “Is it really this hard to talk to me?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then what’s the problem? You don’t trust me?”

Blake’s eyes squinted, as he shook his head. “There are things that I think you shouldn’t know.”

“What about the other things? You never tell me those, either!”

Blake stayed quiet for a few seconds, before he finally said, “I can’t promise I’ll tell you everything.”

Adam opened his mouth to protest but Blake interrupted.

“But, I can promise to talk to you when... when it’s about us,” Blake said, looking into Adam’s eyes.

Adam blinked once and smiled. He liked the sound of ‘us’ coming from Blake’s mouth.

“If there’s something that may affect you, I won’t hide it.”

Adam smiled big. It wasn’t much, but they had to start somewhere. “You promise?”

Blake swallowed. “Yes.”

“Then I’m okay with that.”

Blake felt Adam’s cheek with his hand. “Alright.”

Adam held Blake’s hand and pressed a long kiss in the palm. He was so happy. “Good,” he whispered, tightening hard around Blake’s hand. “There’s something else.”

“What is it?” Blake said, gently.

“If you ever hit me again, and I mean ever? I’m gonna cut off your hands and throw them out to stray dogs and cats! Literally!”

Blake stayed quiet for a few seconds. “I’ll cut them off myself.”

Adam beamed at him, eyes twinkling. “Why are you so nice tonight? It’s weird.”

Blake was smiling too. “I’m drunk.”

“Is that what I have to do so you would talk and be nice to me?” Adam was playing in Blake’s chest hair, curling it around his finger. “Get you drunk?”

Blake hummed. “That, and staying with me through the night.”

Adam draped an arm across of Blake’s chest protectively and nodded. “I promise.” He leaned over and put a long kiss on Blake’s chest.

Blake hugged him tight and put a long kiss on his cheek. It stayed quiet for a long time. Adam closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth coming from Blake. He was going to tell him about the breakup later, if he got out. Right then, it was prefect. Everything was in place.

 

~~******** ~~

  
It all seemed like a perfect dream, which had a huge weight off his chest. Except it wasn’t a dream. Blake was sleeping right next to him, and for a moment Adam couldn’t believe it.

A silly smile spread on Adam’s lips as he watched the other man for a while, his hair, his eyes, and his lips. There were a lot of colors in that hair, black, white, grey, brown, blonde and even red. Adam couldn’t understand how something so complicated could be so pretty. Then again, Blake was a beautiful complicated masterpiece himself.

Adam’s gaze drifted to the new tattoo, and he giggled. In a way, he was the one who’d put it there. He still couldn’t believe Blake kept his drawing. He reached over and touched that skin, careful not to wake Blake up. He didn’t want a gun pointing at him, ruining this moment. His hands felt the skin under his fingertips, and his eyes watched carefully. It looked so good. The black ink contrasting with Blake’s skin almost gave him an orgasm right then and there.

“What are you doing?”

Blake’s voice startled Adam. He pulled his hand away and looked up. Blake was frowning. For a second, Adam thought he was angry with him, but then, Blake held his own head in his hand and groaned. Adam figured that he was hangover. “You’re okay?” Adam asked.

Suddenly, Blake clasped his hand over Adam’s mouth. “Stop talking,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut. A few seconds later, he released Adam’s mouth.

Adam pursed his lips, a little playful. “So, no kisses and hugs? That was fast!”

“Just stop. I’m serious,” Blake said, turning on his back. He was in his white shirt and black pants. It was different seeing him like that. For a moment, Adam forgot that they were in prison.

“Give me a kiss, big country.”

Blake sighed and looked at Adam. He looked like he was trying not to snap him into a million pieces. Still, he cupped the back of Adam’s head and pulled him for a kiss. It was sudden, but Adam didn’t take long to adjust and kiss back. Blake reeked a little of alcohol, but Adam didn’t mind. He missed him too much to care.

The bell outside went off, breaking their lips away, and making Blake more grumpy. Adam just put his chin on Blake’s chest and watched the other man. “I’ve missed you.” Adam put a kiss on Blake’s bare chest.

Blake just took a few deep breaths and let them out.

Luke and Jason were up a few minutes later. Luke sat on the bed and looked at Blake. He didn’t look too surprised to see Blake. Adam wondered if they already knew he was coming. “You’re okay?” Luke asked, yawning and stretching.

Blake didn’t respond.

Adam sat up and watched him. “Did you know he was coming back yesterday?” Adam finally asked.

Luke was still half asleep, but he nodded. “Yeah, kind of.”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?!!” Adam yelled.

Blake hissed at the loud sound.

“We weren’t certain it was going to be yesterday,” Luke admitted. “I didn’t want to give you false hope.”

“You promised you’d tell me if he sent anything!”

“For god’s sake, stop!” Blake said, putting his hand over Adam’s mouth again. “Both of you!”

“Just leave him alone,” Jason said, suddenly. “You don’t wanna piss him off when he’s hungover.” Then Jason got up and walked to Blake holding a paper. “Hey! This came for you two days ago.”

Blake looked at the paper for a few seconds before he took it from Jason. He unfolded it and read what was inside. He curse under his breath before he folded the paper again and gave it to Jason.

“When?”

“Next week. Friday.” Jason sat down on Luke’s bed.

Adam looked back and forth between the three guys, waiting for someone to explain. No one did. “So?”

“What?” Luke asked. Oblivious.

Adam rolled his eyes. “What’s in the paper?”

“Oh, someone is...”

Luke was actually going to answer Adam, but Blake held his hand up. “He doesn’t need to know that.”

Adam’s eyebrows furrowed in protest. “You promised!” he reminded Blake. “You said you won’t hide things from me again.”

Blake locked eyes with him for a long moment as if considering taking back his promise. Adam made sure Blake knew he disapproved of the secrecy. Blake took a deep breath and let it out slow. “A guy named Louis will be transferred here next week. I need you to stay away from him.”

Adam recognized the name immediately. “You mean Jonathan’s son?” he asked, making Blake’s expression drop. “Why is he coming here?”

“How did you...?” Blake asked, but didn’t finish. He knew exactly who told Adam. “Luke!” he yelled, suddenly shifting his look to the blond guy. Adam’s heart almost stopped, shocked by the sudden yell.

Luke stepped back. “Why did you assume it’s me who told him?”

Blake just kept glaring at him for a long moment. Luke broke down fast. “Okay fine. I told him, but if you’re waiting for an apology, you ain’t getting any! I did what’s right. You were hurting him and yourself.”

“I told you not to say anything!” Blake sat up, and pushed the covers away. “What exactly did you tell him?”

Luke licked his lips, looking nervous. “Enough.”

“If he knows about Louis then it’s too much. What did you tell him about Louis?”

Adam didn’t want this to go out of hand, so he got up on his knees and hugged Blake from behind. “He just said a name,” Adam said, hugging Blake tight. “I swear, just a name.”

Blake was shaking with anger. “Get off me, Adam.”

Adam didn’t. “Blake,” Adam whispered before he kissed Blake’s neck. “Calm down, please! I just know a name.”

Blake calmed down a little, but not enough.

“I’m not sorry, Blake,” Luke said once Blake was visibly calmer. “He needed to know.”

“I get it already,” Blake looked away. “I don’t want to see you for the rest of the day. You can leave.”

Luke sighed. “Okay. Sure.”

Once the door was open, Luke and Jason went out immediately. Adam stayed with Blake, trying to calm him down, but Blake was completely shut down. So, they just stayed there, sitting in silence. Adam was holding Blake’s hand, stroking it gently with his thumb.

“He didn’t say much, honestly,” Adam said, kissing Blake’s hand. “C’mon, talk to me.”

“Not now,” Blake said, firm.

“You promised!” Being the stubborn idiot that he was, Adam pushed it. He got closer to Blake and looked up into his blue eyes. “Why don’t you want me to know?”

Blake didn’t answer.

“Luke told me amazing things about you,” Adam said, smiling silly. “Why wouldn’t you want me to know that my boyfriend is the most powerful man in America? Not that I needed anyone to tell me, really. I can see myself and...”

Blake’s head went up, looking in Adam’s direction. He looked surprised.

“What?” Adam asked, holding Blake’s hand. “Did I say something wrong?”

Blake looked him deep in the eyes as he sucked in a deep breath. “Boyfriend?”

Blood rushed through Adam’s veins and to his face. His thoughts ran a million miles per second, recalling everything that he’d just said. Did he say that? He did. He may have said it without thinking first, but his brain remembered calling Blake his boyfriend. It sounded a little weird, but he liked it. His heart was beating a little faster.

He shrugged at Blake. “So? You are my boyfriend, right?”

This was the complete opposite of the break-up he was planning. Hell, he couldn’t even remember why he wanted to break up with Blake in first place. He was with Blake, and this was his top priority at the moment.

Blake smiled and reached over to Adam. He gathered Adam’s face, his hair, his everything and brought him in for a long kiss. Adam smiled through it all. He got up and sat in Blake’s laps, and put his arms around his neck. Blake’s hands were everywhere on his bare back and waist. Adam felt heat rising in his crotch, and his dick was damp and hard. He moaned when he felt Blake’s cock hard under his ass.

“Last night was a bust,” Adam said, pressing their foreheads together. “Quite literally!” He giggled at his little pun. “I wanna try again.” He grabbed Blake’s hand and put it on his boxers-covered dick. “Can you feel that? You’re doing this to me!”

Blake’s eyes took one glance at Adam’s crotch before they went back to his eyes. “Can you wait until I shower?”

Adam shook his head. “Nope! I want you right now, and tonight, and always.”

Blake cradled Adam’s face between his hands and kissed him deeply. Adam smiled into him and kissed back. A part of him still couldn’t believe he was holding Blake in his arms, so he wrapped his arms around his big body and pulled him closer to him. He was never going to let go again, he dangerously thought.


	18. Chapter 18

Adam took a deep breath as he rolled onto his back. Everyone was in their beds and sleeping. It was late at night, quiet and Adam still yet to do the same.

True to the inmates’ words, Louis was transferred to LA State private prison, a week after Blake had come back. He was a big man, almost as big as Blake. He had sharp grey eyes, whitish-grey hair and sharp, hollow cheekbones. His body was broad, rock hard, bulging with muscles and covered in scars, veins and tattoos. His skin was incredibly pale and unhealthy-looking, which was the weirdest thing ever, giving the fact that he looked like he worked out regularly and took care of his body. Yet somehow, he managed to look like a sick, pale vampire. Adam was not surprised though. The guy was an addict, not just to cocaine but also to steroids.

Adam was never scared of new prisoners, whoever they were. He knew that he was safe as long as he was next to Blake. But Louis succeeded at giving him the creeps. Adam’s body shrank every time that man’s eyes were near him or Blake, which were almost constantly. His dead eyes looked like they never blinked, and followed Adam’s friends around everywhere. Adam became aware of them, and was always looking over his shoulder.

 

~~******** ~~

 

The next morning, everyone woke up and stood in line in front of the cells. Adam could see Louis standing at the same line. That son of bitch joined the third floor the moment he stepped into the prison. Adam avoided him and descended to chow hall along the others. After getting his breakfast, Adam and CeeLo walked to their table, which was the one next to Blake’s and his friend’s. Ed and Flynn were already there, and smiled for them.

Initially, he wanted to sit with his friends this morning, just listen to them talk and distract his brain from all the mess going on inside it. His cellmates were not exactly the chatty type, especially in the mornings. When he finally walked up to his friends he realized that there was a big man at Blake’s table. He didn’t have to look at his face to know it was Louis. His heart pounded hard when he saw the pale man put a hand on Blake’s shoulder and smirk wide. Blake was not making any attempt to move, but simply looked down as if he couldn’t care less. Adam excused himself and went to Blake’s table instead, blood boiling his veins.

“You’re standing in front of my chair,” Adam said, a little coy. “Can you move?”

Louis looked at him and smirked. “Go fin’ somewhere else, swee’hear’.” His voice wasn’t as scary as he looked. It was a little high and scratchy. He talked quickly, eating the words as he spoke. The pale man looked back at Blake and continued to talk. “Nex’ time, I’ll break you’ da–”

Anger washed over Adam, and all he could think about was hurting this man. Not only he was rude to Adam by ignoring him, but he calling him a sweetheart was just out the line. “I said move!” he yelled as loud as he could, interrupting Louis mid-sentence. Louis’ head snapped in his direction, eyes red-hot with anger.

Adam’s heart was beating so fast. “Move, unless you want whatever left of your dick cut off… sweetheart.”

Louis face turned red with rage, and raised his hand in the air, and punched Adam in the face. Adam’s body jerked to the right, pain radiating throughout his cheek and entire face, and his plate fell on the floor. Almost immediately, four guards were quick to break the fight, but Louis was a taller man, so he was talking and pointing at Blake over their heads. “Very nice, Shelton. You get you’ bitches to fight for you?”

Adam was about to talk back but Blake’s chair was pushed back slowly as he rose on his feet. He didn’t look at Louis, but held Adam’s chin with one strong hand and turned his face to see if Adam was injured. He looked so mad, lips pressed in a tight thin line and eyes squinting at Adam more than anyone else.

“Worried about you’ pet?” Louis tried to push it. The guards tried to take him away, but he was barely moving at all.

Blake gritted his teeth. “Fascinated. How can something so small have such a loud voice?” Blake was still looking in Adam’s eyes. “Why don’t you be a sweetheart and get him a fresh tray?” Blake was looking at Louis now.

“Hey, hey,” an officer said, holding his hands up. “Get back to your table. Now.” He was talking to Louis.

Louis ignored the officer. “Ge’ it you’self, you fuckin’ orphan!”

Adam didn’t like the nickname, so he broke from Blake’s hand and punched Louis so hard the man stumbled backwards a step. One of the guards grabbed Adam’s waist and pushed him away from Louis, before the taller man got him.

“You go fuck yourself, you fucking low life!” Adam yelled at the top of his lungs. “You call him that one more time, and I’m gonna fucking burn you alive!”

“You bitch!” Louis raised his fist in the air again, and almost landed it on Adam’s face. Thankfully Blake stopped it by grabbing Louis’ forearm. By then, the officer was signaling for his friends at the other end of the hall to get over.

“If you ever touch him...?”

“What?” Louis interrupted. “You’ll unleash you’ bitches at me? Is tha’ how you got in here, big guy?”

The officer pushed Louis backward. “I said break it up!”

Blake set his jaw and smirked. “Not really, no. More like, I killed three men,” Blake said, staring dead in Louis’ eyes before he let go of his hand. “I shot off their fingers, one at a time, making sure they were conscious to feel each single finger snap off. And then, I made them beg me to kill them, which of course I didn’t. I’m not that cruel. I gave them a gun and made them end their own lives themselves.”

Adam’s heart almost stopped, and he was staring at Blake with stunned eyes. He figured Blake was talking about the three men that attacked his family.

Blake continued. “What are you in for, Louis? Sniffing too much powder? Breaking a kid’s arm? Or turning up against your own boss?”

“You are not my boss,” Louis said, rolling up his left sleeves. There was a tattoo around his left forearm, but it was not the same as Blake’s. It was a ring of fire. “That chair, everything should have been mine, not a 23-year-old kid’s, still figuring out how to tie his own shoes! I’m older, and I am his child, not you!”

Blake chuckled. “Ain’t life a bitch,” he said, sarcastically. “I am not his biological son, but I still ended up with everything.”

The guards finally arrived and two of them grabbed Louis’ arms and pulled him away from the scene. Louis jerked himself away and punched the one on the right. Three guards held up their guns and pointed them at him. Louis didn’t break the eye contact from Blake as he put his hands up. “You’re laughing now, but you know it’s coming, Shelton. I destroy the things I can’t have. And If I can’t get the Deer, I’m gonna destroy them, and you’re the first to go! I believe you still have the present I gave you last time?” He looked at Blake’s shoulder. “Imagine what I am going to do next!”

With that, Louis walked away surrounded by seven guards. Blake watched him for a second before he sat down. Adam did too. His body was shaking.

Adam remembered when Jason told Adam the reason why Blake had a gun inside their cell. He said that people attacked Blake, and shot him in the shoulder. Adam looked at Blake’s shoulder and touched the top of it. He could feel a scar under the thin material of the uniform. His heart ached, and a wave of anxiety hit him.

“… Hey!” Adam heard Luke’s voice yelling. Adam looked at him, still partially in his head. “What are you doing?’

“He shot Blake?” Adam asked, his voice trembling.

Luke hissed. “Were you even listening to what I was saying? Why the hell do you always do this, stick your nose where it doesn’t belong?”

“I’m sorry,” Adam said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t sleep last night.”

“That’s not an...!” Luke stopped suddenly. Adam could see Blake’s hand held up on the table. “You approve of this?!”

“No,” Blake said, making Adam’s eyes squeeze shut. He knew he fucked up. “It was funny, but don’t do it again.”

Adam’s head shot up and looked at Blake. “You’re not mad?”

Blake sighed and touched Adam’s cheek where Louis hit him. “I am. This is gonna leave a bruise on your face,” he said, calmly. “You know how I feel about that.”

“I’m sorry.” Adam looked down again. “He’s been... I don’t know, he keeps looking at you, at us, and it’s just nerve wrecking.”

“Did he say something to you?” Jason asked, sounding concerned.

Adam. “No, but I see him everywhere, and he’s constantly watching.”

It stayed quiet for a while, before Luke said something. “He’s a jerk. Don’t pay attention to him.”

Adam knew that Luke was worried too, so his attempt to comfort Adam didn’t do anything.

Adam couldn’t get him out of his head.

 

~~******** ~~

 

Again, Adam couldn’t sleep that night. He was in Blake’s bed, staring at the wall next to the bed. It was dark, and the only thing he could see was spots on the wall that the full moon tented with a naive hue. Blake was next to him, presumably asleep. Adam didn’t understand how Blake could be so calm about it. There was a murderous man inside the prison, trying to kill him, and who managed to get close enough to shoot Blake before. He squeezed his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around himself under the cover. The idea of Blake’s getting shot made his body shudder. Suddenly, a hand was on his head, gentle and warm.

“Why are you still up?” Blake asked, voice gentle and low.

Adam rolled over onto the other side, facing Blake. “Thinking.”

Blake was on his back, but he was looking in his direction, his beautiful blue eyes twinkling with the moonlight. “You need to turn your brain off a little,” he said, spreading out his arm under Adam’s neck. “Come closer.”

Adam did. He snuggled next to Blake, using his shoulder as a pillow. He draped an arm across of his chest and hugged him.

“It’s going to be fine,” Blake said, putting his hand back in Adam’s hair. “Stop worrying.”

“He shot you before,” Adam pointed out, embracing Blake tighter.

“I didn’t have a gun when Louis sent his men on me before,” Blake said, pressing a long kiss on Adam’s forehead. “Now I do. And I’m really good at using my gun.” Adam felt a smile on his forehead.

He edged his head a little and looked up at Blake. “Did you just make a dick joke? Really? At a time like this?”

“I can be funny,” Blake said, making Adam smile.

Adam buried his face in Blake’s neck, inhaling his cologne. “I guess.” He purred, and peppered feather-like kisses over Blake’s neck and jaw. “It’s not helping, though.”

“How can I help?”

Adam settled and nuzzled Blake’s cheek. “Can you promise me something?”

“What?”

Adam closed his eyes, knowing that what he was going to ask was stupid. “Can you promise that you won’t die?”

He knew everyone came with an expiration date, but, he needed to hear it, his heart needed to know that everything was going to be okay, even if his brain doubted it.

“Everyone dies eventually, Adam.”

This was killing him, why couldn’t Blake see that. “I know. I know.” His voice was breaking away, as he tightened his grip around Blake. “Please, just, just promise me!”

“I promise,” Blake finally said suddenly as he rubbed Adam’s back gently. “I won’t die.”

Adam nodded, smiling. “Thank you.” Adam reached over and touched Blake’s face. They kissed gently.

“Can you sleep now?” Blake asked, his hand slipped under Adam’s clothes and settled on his bare back. Adam’s breathing hitched. “Or do you need help with that?”  
Adam chuckled, lips planting small kisses on Blake’s jaw line. “I can do with some help.”

 

~~******** ~~

 

As January came to an end, things started to change around the prison. New guards were added. They weren’t anything like the ones that were already there. They were bigger, more skilled in handling violence, and were focused to an unbelievable degree. They were everywhere now, which led to less violence, a more stable environment, and less corruption. It was not like they treated Blake and his friend any differently from the rest of the guards. If anything, they were more polite to Blake.

They got Adam worried, especially, when he started feeling their eyes on him, watching, anticipating. It was not just him who was being watched, but also Luke, Jason, Ed and most importantly, Blake. These men followed Blake like a shadow. Ed noticed it too, which proved that Adam was not going crazy. He thought it was Louis’s work, and the idea scared the hell out of him. He thought that the sneaky bastard spread out his men around the place to make sure he got to Blake.

But he couldn’t be more wrong.

One day, Jason took him to Pharell to get a haircut at the craft room. Three of the new guards were outside sitting by a table, talking. In the mirror he could see that one of them had his sleeves rolled up. That was when he saw it, the tattoo on the guard’s left forearm. Adam had to look over his shoulder to confirm. It was, indeed, the same tattoo as the one on Blake’s forearm.

Adam started to notice that that new guards only talked to one another, had their own signals and rarely interacted with the prison’s original guards. That was when he knew that they were not just any guards, they were Blake’s guards. The discovery was like a huge burden had been lifted off his chest.

Jason told him later that Luke was the one arranged this, and that there were ten of them. They were in pairs. Two of them watched over Blake’s cell at night. He said that Luke did it without running it through Blake, which explained one of their fights two weeks after Blake came back. Adam was actually grateful for Luke. The blond was like Blake’s guardian angel. Yes, he was a jerk sometimes, but Adam honestly couldn’t love him more during these days.

 

~~******** ~~

 

It was another good day. A Sunday. Adam had learned that CeeLo was being released in two weeks, which made Adam really happy. Flynn’s request to be transferred to another prison was approved, finally. Adam didn’t even know he wanted to be transferred. Apparently, he wanted to be close to his family in Chicago. Adam spent the morning reconnecting with his friends. He’d been disconnected and absentminded since his mother passed away, so it was nice to talk with his friends again.

At noon, Adam met Behati, who managed to get both Jesse and Mickey added to the artists group. At first, Adam thought he was dreaming, but then they started hugging him, and he couldn’t help but hug them back like a mother who’d missed her dear children. These two were as excited as he was, and Mickey even had tears in his eyes, which made Adam even more emotional.

“I told you I am going to get them in here,” Behati said, punching Adam’s arm, playfully. “I always keep my promises!”

Adam hugged Behati so tight. “How did you even do it?” Adam asked, looking at her with astonishment.

Behati shrugged. “Well, I have been trying for three weeks, but the warden kept turning me down. Then I remembered you saying that Blake can make anything happen, so, I told them that you’re a friend of Blake Shelton. The next morning, I had the green light. Sadly, it’s only for this today, but, I figured it was better than nothing.”

Adam looked over his shoulder at Blake, smiling wide. Blake was reading.

He really wanted them to meet Blake, but was not sure if it was possible to take them to Blake. He knew for sure that Blake was not going to move. He was not going to have another chance to have the three of them like that at the same time.

Blake glanced up in his direction, and Adam could tell that Blake was looking at him. Adam smiled and pointed at his friends. Blake nodded once.

“Is that him?” Jesse asked, looking in the same direction as Adam. “Blake, I mean.”

Adam looked at him and nodded. “I really wanted you guys to meet him. But I guess it’s not possible.”

“He’s kind of scary,” Mickey said, and Adam found himself defending Blake in his head. Yes, he was rough around the edges, but he was really nice. “I wouldn’t have guessed he was gay at all.”

“Yeah, I know,” Jesse agreed “And I’m engaged to a man!”

“I don’t think he’s gay. Maybe bi-sexual? I heard he had a girlfriend visiting him before.”

“You never asked?” Mickey asked.

Adam couldn’t figure out a nice way to tell them that Blake was not exactly the chatty type. “It never came up in a conversation,” he ended up saying. “Anyway, how are you guys doing? How’s life outside?”

The four friends had a long conversation all afternoon. Adam didn’t contribute much to the art group and he didn’t care. He was over the moon. Hearing their voices live and not through a phone was like the best thing about the whole visit. Ed joined them some time later and they all had a nice chat about different things. Adam was happy when his friends welcomed the kid, and opened up to him.

At three in the afternoon, Adam had a visit from his lawyer, who carried some good news. There had been new evidence found in Adam’s house that proved that Mary was with someone inside the house before she was killed. The police also found Adam’s missing wine glass, but Daly reused to tell him where. He said that this was just an update, and he was not exactly at liberty to talk about an ongoing investigation. Adam was so happy with the news regardless and thanked his lawyer.

After he was cuffed and led out the room, his sight fell on a view that had him frozen in his place. A woman, a blond woman, short and fair stood before Blake. She held his face in her hands as she pressed a long kiss on his cheek. They were surrounded by four guards and in front of the room where Behati visited him. After the kiss, the blond smiled at Blake and hugged him tight. Blake hugged her back and whispered something in her ear that made her nod and smile.

“Move,” an officer said behind Adam, pushing him slightly. His sharp voice caught Blake’s attention and he looked in his direction. He blinked a couple of times, before the blonde finally looked in Adam’s direction too. She was pretty, the kind of pretty that is mesmerizing. Her cat eyes were farther elongated with sharp eyeliner, her luscious lips were extenuated by a blood red lipstick. She looked sharp, like she knew she could bring any man to his knees.

Adam looked away and continued walking, ignoring them. His heart was aching, nerves pulsing as an unexplained wave of jealousy soared through him. Adam swallowed hard. What the hell was she doing? The way she looked at him was like she knew. She definitely knew how annoyed Adam was with her arms around Blake, because she smirked and tightened her arms around him. Adam clenched his jaw and just continued on, without looking at them again.

“Is that him?” he heard her ask Blake. Her voice was so smooth and low, like a purr.

“Yeah,” Blake said lowly, keeping eyes on Adam.

“Gwen said something about him,” she said, lowly. Adam wondered who Gwen was, but by then, he was too far to hear them.

Adam didn’t understand why he was angry. He knew about the woman Blake saw regularly the moment he stepped into this prison. CeeLo told him. It’d just been too long since he heard her name, and he was starting to think that Blake was a single man, that he was Adam’s, and only Adam’s.

 

~~******** ~~

 

After Blake got back to their cell, he didn’t try to explain himself or talk about blond woman. Adam was already in Blake’s bed, listening to his iPod, and sketching a few lines down. Blake sat down on the edge of the bed and grabbed his book, a bright red mark of lipstick on his cheek. Adam’s fingers curled in the paper he was holding, and he glared at that little smear.

After Blake lounged more comfortably on the bed, spreading his long legs in front of him, Adam put his iPod and drawing aside and leaned into Blake. The country man welcomed him silently by opening an arm for him. Adam cuddled next to him and tucked his head under the stubble-covered chin of Blake.

“She seems nice,” Adam said as Blake wrapped his arm around him. Blake only hummed.

Her perfume was stuck on Blake’s clothes. It smelled nice, but filled Adam with anger. Adam tried to ignore it, like he ignored that lipstick on Blake’s cheek. They stayed in this silence for a long time.

“Who is she?” Adam tried again.

Blake flipped the page. “Christina. A friend.”

Adam wanted to say that she looked more than a friend, but didn’t want to sound jealous and pathetic. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, but couldn’t. “You smell like her,” Adam said, before he could think. “I can’t sleep.”

“If it’s bothering you, you can go back to your bed,” Blake said blankly with his monotone voice that Adam still couldn’t read.

It hurt, smelling her on him like that. It felt like she was still there, lying between them. He couldn’t do it. So he pulled himself away from Blake’s arm.

“Where are you going?” Blake asked.

Adam didn’t want him to know he was upset about Christina’s hugs and kisses, so he avoided Blake’s eyes as he collected his stuff and slipped off the bed. “Her fragrance is too strong,” Adam said as he sat down on his bed. He held up his iPod and scrolled down through the list of songs and picked a song for Hudson. He grabbed a clean paper and started to sketch down some lines. He felt so pitiful, stupid, and childish. He could have asked Blake if Christina was his girlfriend, but he was too scared of the answer. What if she was the real deal and Adam was just Blake’s disposable toy?

The tip of his pencil broke under the pressure of his hand, so he mumbled a few curse words and looked for another pencil. Blake got up a few minutes later and left the cell. Adam didn’t ask him where he was going and just focused on the song in his ears and the car he was drawing.

For a long thirty minutes, he put his frustration in his drawing. It managed to keep him from over thinking Blake’s and Christina’s relationship. Luke and Jason came back. They were laughing at something. When they didn’t find Blake, Luke pulled Adam’s headphones out of his ear and asked for Blake. Adam told him that he didn’t know.

“How could you not know, you were with hi-”

Before he could finish, Blake walked in, with a towel on his head. His hand stopped drying his hair when he saw Luke and Jason.

“You showered?” Luke asked, looking confused. “Haven’t you already showered once before?”

Adam’s heart skipped a beat as he looked up in Blake’s eyes. Blake looked back in his. He smiled. “Christina’s fragrance was too strong.”

A smile spread across Adam’s lips as he beamed with joy. Blake signaled to his bed with his head. Luke looked so confused, looking back and forth between Adam and Blake. Then, he just decided he didn’t even want to know, and went back to his bed.

Adam took his papers and iPod and followed Blake to his bed. Blake sat down with Adam in front of him between his legs.

Blake put a long kiss in Adam’s hair before he held one of Adam’s drawings up. “You draw a lot of cars,” Blake pointed out. “This is good!”

Adam nodded. “It’s a classic.” He leaned more into Blake. “But, I have been saving to buy this one.” Adam shuffled through his paper and pulled out a drawing of a red Mercedes. It was the only picture he colored.

“It looks nice.” Blake put his arms around Adam’s waist and his chin on Adam’s shoulder. He smelled so fresh, and his cologne was even stronger now. That pine scent had Adam melting in his arms.

They stayed like that for a while, Blake’s lips pressed against on his neck. It was warm, and comfortable. Adam put his favorite song, “Purple Rain” by Prince on, and gave Blake one side of the headphones. They sat there, listening to the song, while doing nothing but feel each other.

Adam could just stay like that forever.

After a while, Blake went back to his reading, while Adam finished his sketch and shuffled through a few songs. Then, Adam put his paper aside on the bed and turned to Blake. He lay down next to him and put his head on his shoulder. He still needed to know who Christina and Gwen were, and why Christina was so close to him. “Is she your, you know, girlfriend?”

Blake looked at him. Their faces were so close and Adam could feel his soft breath on his face.

“Christina.”

Blake looked in his eyes and reached over to touch his face. His fingers were incredibly gentle. “I don’t have sex with women,” Blake said. His thumb brushed over Adam’s lips. “Only men.”

Adam smiled like an idiot. He was relieved. “We were talking about that today, my friends and I. They didn’t think you look too gay.”

“It goes by unnoticed.” He pressed a kiss on Adam’s lips. “Christina, she’s like my little sister. We grew up together.”

“You mean at Mr. Jonathan’s house?”

Blake stayed quiet for a second, then continued. “No, she was my neighbor. She lived with her mother after her dad died in Iraq. When her mother died, she had no family to turn to, so Jonathan adopted her. He knew we were close.”

“And Gwen?”

“She was already in the house when I got there. She’s even tougher than Christina. She had been trained since she was five, and has a lot of resources. She’s like a sister to me as well.”

“You have a good family.”

Blake pressed a kiss on Adam’s forehead. “Yeah.”

Blake decided to get comfortable and laid down on the bed. Adam hugged him. “You smell nice. It’s like...?” Adam couldn’t find a suitable word to describe how much he liked Blake’s scent.

“Like?”

Adam buried his face into Blake’s neck and inhaled more of that smell. “It’s so...” He moaned, comfortably. “It’s like, I don’t know, sexy, I guess.”

Blake chuckled. “It’s an aftershave, cologne if you will.” His hand slipped down to Adam’s waist. “My father used to have it. They stopped making it years ago. But I have it specially made.”

Adam looked at Blake, a little anxious he might have opened an old wound again. Blake noticed the worry in his eyes. “It’s my way of having him with me,” he said, touching Adam’s face. “He died when I was twelve, but I guess, Luke’s already told you that?”

Adam nodded. “I’m so sorry,” he said, a little careful. His hand held Blake’s hand to his chest, and kept it there for a while.

“It was a long time ago,” he said. He looked sorry too. “He used to hate this cologne, and only wore it because my mother liked it. She would buy it for him every Christmas.”

Adam smiled and held Blake’s hand to his lips and pressed a long kiss into Blake’s palm. “That’s sweet.”

Blake’s eyebrows were knotted down as if in pain. Adam could tell that he was recreating the whole horrific incident in his head. With every second, the pain in his eyes increased. Adam wanted him to stop, but didn’t know how to make him do so. He hugged him instead, comforting him. This time, Blake rolled on his side, putting his forehead on Adam’s chest. Adam put his hand in his hair and caressed so gently, giving Blake as much time as he wanted. He could tell Luke and Jason were listening, because they got quieter all of a sudden, and Luke’s face was turned a little towards Blake’s bed

Adam had never seen this side of Blake before, and understood now why he never talked about it to anyone. At that moment, Adam felt like it was his job to protect that little fracture of Blake, to make sure Blake never needed anyone else but him and to let Blake know that it was okay to be venerable in his arms, that he was safe.

He wanted to protect Blake’s heart, let no one near it.

“It’s okay.” Adam put a gentle kiss on Blake’s forehead. “I’ve got you.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, basically Fun wouldn't send me her story unless I give her a chapter to beta in exchange. Now, I don't know about you guys, but this is mean, especially, that her story is so good and she ends almost every chapter of her novel with a cliffhanger.  
> I still love you , though. Thanks for keeping me motivated, luv.

February rolled in and it got even colder for a few days. It even rained. The prisoners were asked to stay in their cells during the rainy days. They still had to go to work, and the chow hall for food, but there was no leisure time allowed. Unfortunately, things weren’t going well in terms of Adam’s friends. Suddenly, Ed was angry and rebellious. One day he decided to start a fight with Luke. He was getting tired of Luke’s constant nagging. Adam tried to calm them down, but things just got out of control.

Ed and Luke had another fight at the yard, which ended with them both bruised and injured. Adam tried to break up their fight, but he couldn’t. Ed was the one who pushed him away. His elbow punched Adam’s nose, making it bleed a little. That was when Blake got angry. The guards broke up the fight shortly after that, and took Ed away to solo.

Adam’s heart feared for the kid. He’d never been in that hole before. Adam asked Blake to do something, but Blake refused. He was still mad about the cut on the bridge of Adam’s nose.

Ed got out after only two days. He was so angry that he no longer sat around or with Adam. Adam tried to get to him once, but Ed was completely shut down. Adam expected him to be angry for a long time, resentful and frustrated, but he did not expect what happened next.

Two days after Ed came out of solitary, Adam saw him sitting at Louis’ table, so he tried to correct him. He was surprised when Ed deliberately took Louis’ side.

“Louis is a good guy,” Ed said one day. “It’s Blake who took everything away from Louis, the one who kicked Louis out of his own house and made him look like an idiot. I don’t know about you, but that speaks ‘asshole’ to me.”

That made Adam angry. “He’s a drug addict!”

“Was. He was an addict. He’s not anymore,” the ginger corrected. “He’s been clean for ten years.”

Adam snorted. “Clean my ass!” he retorted. “Look, I care for you Ed, okay? You’re like my little brother. Please, stay away from him? Otherwise, I can’t be your friend!”

Ed’s eyes squinted. “He’s tricking you, Adam,” he said. “That’s what he does. He uses people to get to what he wants. How many times had he yelled at you for no reason? How many times did he intentionally hide things from you? You’re nothing to him! I hope you can see that, one day.”

With that, Ed left and went back to sitting down with Louis and his three friends. Louis looked at Adam with a sneer on his lips and in his sharp grey eyes. Adam was shaking with anger, disappointment and mortification. He’d lost his friend. Soon enough, he turned his back to Ed, like the red head did to him, and took care of his own business.

In terms of Blake’s safety, as time passed, Adam was starting to feel safer. Blake’s guards were all around the place, and the little time they spent at the yard had Adam reassured. He started to sleep better at night.

 

~~******** ~~

“You’d think I’d have more control by now,” Adam whispered playfully against Blake’s lips. His leg was curled up between Blake’s, body pressed tightly next to Blake, and lips relaxed in full surrender to Blake’s gentle kissing.

Blake was on his side, hands roaming gently around Adam’s body. “You’ve never had that quality to begin with,” Blake commented between their kisses, making Adam huff laughter softly.

  
Adam pushed Blake slightly until the cowboy was on his back, and then got on top of him, one knee on each side. “That’s some dangerous talk to say to a guy you want to put out!”

  
Blake chuckled. Adam could see his moon-lit face, twinkling eyes. “You’re already had!”

  
Adam chuckled, leaned forward and started kissing him again. Suddenly there was a thud at the door that broke their lips. They froze and Blake sat up slightly on his elbows. Both were now looking in the door’s direction.

  
Adam turned his head and looked at Blake’s face. He wanted to ask what was going on, but couldn’t find his voice. They heard chattering outside, so low it was barely audible. Blake pulled Adam down, coaxing him to lie down. Wordlessly, Adam followed his order and lay down on his side, pressing his back to Blake’s chest.

  
A few seconds had passed, and the sounds outside dimmed. Blake put an arm around his neck and the other around his waist and brought Adam closer. Adam felt something solid on his stomach. It was the gun. He could feel the cold metal through his clothes. His first thought was, there was someone here for Blake.

  
“What’s going on?” Adam was frozen in his place, heart pounding in his chest. There was no snoring, meaning Luke and Jason were up too.

  
“Quiet,” Blake said, pressing a reassuring kiss on Adam’s ear. Adam did as he was told, chest heaving up and down. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the door’s lock, and again the sound disappeared for a few minutes. The thunder startled Adam. He realized that it was raining only then.

  
He held his breath, trying to hear anything, but he couldn’t. Blake hugged him tighter, and kissed the back of his neck. It scared Adam even more. It felt like a goodbye hug, or maybe that was his panicking imagination.

  
The door made a creaking sound as it slowly opened, letting the dim light outside spread around the space of the cell. Adam tried to look, but only saw a dark silhouette of a man. He was slim, and was wearing the official hat for the prison guards.

  
Blake’s gun made a clicking sound, indicating the safety was now off. Adam was shaking, heart hammering in his chest. Again, Blake kissed Adam’s neck and shifted a little. Adam heard footsteps approaching. The same clicking sound came from the man’s direction, making Adam’s toes curl under the covers. He could feel Blake ready to move, as his body wasn’t as heavily pressed against Adam’s anymore.

  
The man’s breathing sounded too close. Adam stayed as still as he could.  
Blake’s body got even lighter against Adam’s, and his arms withdrew slowly. Suddenly, the cover was off Adam’s body, and Blake was completely out of the bed. Adam heard a man gasping in surprise, a loud grunt and messy breathing.

  
Adam didn’t care for the sounds came from the strange man. He was waiting for the gunshot, scared that it would hit him or Blake. He squeezed his eyes shut and got up, shoving himself in the corner of the bed to avoid being in the way of the bullet. When he opened his eyes, the lights were already on.  
He looked at Blake to see if he was okay. Blake was fine. He had the intruder fixed in his arm, forearm pressing hard against his throat, while his other hand pointed the gun to his temple. Luke and Jason were up too, and they walked around their bed to Blake.

  
“Good evening to you,” Blake said, pressing the gun harder into the man’s head. The man grunted. “Don’t you think it’s a little rude, breaking in like that?”

  
“Fuck you,” the man said, struggling under Blake’s arm.

  
“That is not one of the guards,” Luke said, grabbing the gun on the floor. “This is...”

  
Suddenly, another “guard” showed up at the door. The uniform was too big for his slim body. The rolled-up sleeves kept sliding back down aver his boney arm. He walked in slowly, with a gun in his hand.

“Put the gun down, Shelton.”

  
Luke shook his head to Blake.

  
Blake looked at the other man’s eyes. “Is that your friend?”

  
“Shelton, put the gun down! No need for this to get messy,” the man repeated again. He looked at Adam and his eyes sparked with an idea. He held his hand up and pointed the gun at Adam. “Put it down or I’ll kill your boy. You don’t want anything to happen to him, right?”

  
“One shot, that is all it takes for the alarms to go off,” Blake explained. “Do you really want to waste it on him?”

  
The slim man chuckled. “Well, it takes the guards six minutes to actually get to this floor. It’s more than enough to cause real damage. I may not kill you, but that sweet boy you keep there will be the unfortunate collateral.”

  
Blake clenched his jaw, yet remained calm. “If you kill him, I won’t have any choice but leave you to my men. As you know, they’re very loyal and the idea of someone disrespecting me like that? Well, let’s just say it will hit them in the wrong spot.”

  
The man set his jaw.

  
“They will dismember you, one limb at a time, and then will make you watch as the do the same to your family, friends and even pets! So, you see, this is not a wise decision to go against me.”

  
The man looked at Blake, hands shaking. Adam’s back was glued to the wall, looking at the gun’s muzzle in the shaking hand. Luke held the other man’s gun up, pointing at the man at the door.

  
The man’s aim shifted toward Luke. “Don’t!”

  
“Isn’t that cute?” Luke said, still pointing at the guy. After a long moment, he put his hands up, still keeping his smile. Then he threw the gun at the floor. It slid to the guy’s feet.

  
The man’s arm twitched, as if ready to move back to Adam.

  
Without a warning two loud shots came out of Blake’s gun, and echoed around the cell. Adam’s breathing hitched, and his hands flew to his ears and covered them tightly. His eyes squeezed shut, expecting the bullet to blow up his brain. He’d always thought people in movies exaggerated when they said that they had their whole life flashing in front of their eyes when they were close to dying. At that moment, he found out that they weren’t.

  
Adam literally saw the highlights of his life, the low points, his past lovers, his friends, his family, his neighbors and even Blake. His body was shaking, ears ringing and heart pounding. The loud alarms outside their cell did nothing but fill Adam with more anxiety.  
When he didn’t feel any pain, Adam opened his eyes slowly and his hands left his ears.

He heard something fall on the floor and saw the man at the door. He was on his knees, head against the door frame and eyes wide open. There were two holes right in the middle of his forehead. Blood ran continuously to his neck in an irregular line.  
Adam froze, not breathing. He’d seen this scene in a lot of action movies, but this was nothing like the movies. Nothing. That man was alive, literally, five seconds ago. Now, he was lying still against the door frame, lifeless.

  
“Where’s my men?” Blake asked, moving the gun back to the man’s temple.

  
The man didn’t talk.

  
Adam started hyperventilating, short of breath, shaking, sweating and feeling numb all over. He didn’t realize that there were tears in his eyes, not until they were pushed out when he squeezed his eyes shut again. He knew Blake was going to kill the guy. He saw it in his eyes. It had been almost twenty years since he last went into a panic attack. He could feel it coming.

  
“I will ask one more time,” Blake said, calmly.

  
“Six feet under, cowboy, I thought you were smart enough to figure it out!” the man said, trying one more time to get away from Blake’s grip. He was laughing at the same time, as if he knew how important Blake’s men to the country man. “You are not going to find their bod-”

  
Suddenly, two more gunshots resounded in the place, making Adam squeal in his throat. He groaned again, and bowed his head. He felt something spray over him. It felt like warm water, but he knew that it wasn’t that. It was blood, someone’s blood. Human blood. He couldn’t open his eyes, or remove his hands from his ears. The sound was still ringing in his head, refusing to give him any break.

  
Everything around him became so quiet after the alarms were silenced, there was a dragging sound and people talking, but it was like they were talking in another language. He was lost in his panic attack, shaking uncontrollably. All of his senses were focused on the blood that was on him. He could tell where every drop was, on his face, on his neck, in his hair on his clothes, his hands, everywhere. He was too scared to open his eyes, too scared to uncover his ears. Suddenly, the door to their cell closed with a bang that restored some of his senses.

  
“Why the hell didn’t you tell him about Louis? He could have had him transferred!” Jason was yelling. It was rare of him, Adam thought.

  
“Not now,” Blake said. Adam could hear footprints approaching. Adam hadn’t opened his eyes once, scared to see the dead man on the bed in front of him.

  
“Adam,” Blake called, softly. His voice was measured and gentle. “Come here.”

  
Adam was reluctant to open his eyes, and bowed his head even more.

  
Blake continued. “It’s okay now. Come here.”

  
Gradually, Adam opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the blood splattered everywhere. He closed his eyes again, and kept to himself. He shook his head.

  
“It’s okay.” Blake held Adam’s hands and pulled them away from his ears. “Come here.”

  
Adam opened his eyes again and looked at Blake this time. It hit Adam hard, the realization that Blake had just taken two lives in less than five minutes. He pulled his hand away immediately, staring at Blake as if he was looking at a monster. Blake’s eyes squinted in pain, but he didn’t say anything.  
Adam kept looking at him, chest heaving up and down. He didn’t know what to think. His thoughts were screaming in his brain so loud, masking all his common sense. It took him two minute to analyze what’d just happened, and the muscles of his body relaxed slightly.  
They were going to kill Blake. Adam blinked once, before his shoulders relaxed and his chest calmed down a little. It was for self-defense. If Blake hadn’t killed them, they would have killed him instead. Blake seemed to catch on the improvement in Adam’s breathing, and held his hand for Adam one more time. Adam stared at it for the longest time. All he could think about was how Blake’s hand always felt warm, safe. So he reached out for it, searching this warmth, and held Blake’s hand.

  
“There you go,” Blake said, as he pulled Adam forwards. Adam followed his eyes, not blinking for one second. There was a wet spot at the edge on the bed. Blake held his chin up, and told him that it was okay. Adam understood that there was blood under his knees. His heart started pounding again, as he followed Blake blindly to the bathroom.

  
“Get his jacket and iPod,” Blake said to Jason before he opened the tap and let the water run. He grabbed Adam’s hands and put them under the water and rubbed the blood off.

The way the water turned red pushed Adam to the verge of tears. He looked away.  
After his hands were clean, Blake asked if Adam could take off his clothes. Adam nodded. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, but he managed to undo his shirt and take it off. After that, he pulled the tank-top over his head and threw it away somewhere. Meanwhile, Blake soaked a towel with water. By the time Adam was done with his pants, the towel was ready and damp. Blake slowly ran it over Adam’s face and neck, wiping away the blood drops there.

  
Adam was staring up at him the whole time, overwhelmed. He had never seen Blake kill before. He was happy Blake was okay. He tried to focus on this. It was the most important thing.

  
“You’re okay,” Adam said out loud, as if reminding himself. Blake leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. Adam grabbed his face and kissed him on the lips instead. Blake wrapped him with both arms and kissed him again and again until Adam’s body stopped shaking.

  
“It’s going to be fine,” Blake said as he undid the buttons of his own shirt. After he was done with the blood on Adam’s body, he put his own shirt on Adam, and then did the buttons himself. It was warm and smelled like Blake.

  
After that, Blake asked Adam to put his head under the water. Adam did. Again, the water turned red as it left his hair. He closed his eyes and only opened it when Blake said that it was all done. When they got out, Jason gave Blake Adam’s cardigan, the one Adam’s mom made for him. Blake made Adam put it on.

  
Blake nodded, before he looked at Jason. “His iPod?”

  
Jason nodded. “Of course.” He turned to Adam and gave him his iPod. “Tell me if you need anything. Okay?”

  
“I’m fine,” Adam reassured. “This is just... I have never seen this, you know? Er, I’m okay.”  
“Hey, take it easy,” Jason said. “I remember the first time I saw it, too. I literally shat myself.”

  
Adam smiled.

  
“It’s gonna be just fine.”

  
“Thank you.”

  
A few minutes later, the lights were off again and Luke and Jason went to be like nothing had just happened. Adam was in bed with Blake’s arms around him. Blake told him that listening to his favorite song could help him relax. He put the headphones in Adam’s ears, chose “Purple Rain” and put it on repeat. Adam put his head on Blake’s chest and closed his eyes. The song in his ear was soft.

  
If it weren’t for Adam’s small bed and relatively stiff mattress Adam could have sworn it was all just a big nightmare. Blake was supportive in every way, kissing him, hugging him and rubbing soothing circles on his back. It felt nice.

  
After it all settled down, and Adam had some time to really think past his panic attack, he couldn’t help but think about Blake’s family. Blake was only twelve when they were killed, and he’d had to go through it on his own. He had to watch his own family die in front of him one by one. Adam was traumatized by two bad guys getting killed in front of him. He couldn’t even imagine how horrific it was for Blake.

  
_God, he was only twelve._

  
Adam held Blake’s hand to his lips and pressed long kisses on it. His tears were falling down again, but, it wasn’t just for himself anymore. He took off one side of the headphones to talk to Blake. “I didn’t mean to pull my hand away back there,” Adam said close to Blake’s hand. “I was just…”

  
“Shh. I know. I know.” Blake kissed him on the forehead again. “Just listen to your song.  
Adam kissed Blake’s hand again before he reached over and put the other side of the headphones in Blake’s ear. “Listen with me.”  
Blake did.

  
They both stayed up for a long time, just listening to one song. Adam calmed down, but it was still hard to fall asleep after what he’d seen and heard. However as the sun rose and the light filled the room, Adam’s lids got heavy, and he ended up falling asleep eventually. Blake was safe and in his arms, and knowing that made it easier to relax even more.

  
~~********~~

  
When Adam woke up, the cell was dim. The sunset lights were painting the white walls in light orange. Adam looked around, still half asleep. Everything was clean and in place, not scattered around like usual. There was a faint smell of flowers lingering around. Adam blinked once, and all the events of the previous night came back running. He jerked upright, looking around. He was alone, still in his cardigan, and his iPod was on the bed next to him. There was a chair next to his bed, which had some clothes on it.

  
Adam looked at Blake’s bed and saw a new blue comforter and white sheets. He walked to the bed and uncovered it. The mattress was clean. The walls were clean too, as was the floor and even Luke’s bed, which was the closest to the blood.

  
Adam felt a cold breeze on his legs, reminding him that he was missing his pants. He peeled out of his cardigan and Blake’s shirt, and put on a clean tank top and shirt. His briefs had some blood drops on them, which made him shudder. Quickly, he took them off and threw them away in a bin. When he was done dressing, he folded his cardigan neatly and set it aside.

  
As he put on his new socks, the door opened, almost ripping his heart out of his ribcage. Adam felt his pulse rising, and his hands shaking. He had flashed back to the previous night, when the door opened with the same creak.

  
He calmed down when he found that it was Blake who was at the door. Adam let out a sigh of relief and got up. He walked to Blake with one sock and put his arms around his neck. The familiar warmth settled his shaking body, and he let out a soft sound of appreciation. Blake hugged him back, lifting him off of the ground.

  
“Are you okay?” Blake asked, sounding gentle. His lips put a kiss on the side of Adam’s neck.

  
Adam nodded. “I am now.” He took in a deep breath, inhaling Blake’s cologne in the way. “Where were you?”

  
Blake put him down and kissed him on the forehead. “The library.”

  
“Getting a book?”

  
Blake held a book up. “Yeah.” He eyed the book for a second before he looked back at Adam. “Do you think you can stay in my bed now?”

  
Adam gulped. “I – I think. They changed everything, right?”

  
“Yeah.”

  
Adam licked his lips and nodded. “Okay, yeah, okay.”

  
Blake went to his bed first, while Adam stayed at his bed for a few minutes to put on the second sock and get his iPod. By the time he climbed on Blake’s bed, Blake was already reading. Getting on the bed was a little scary. He couldn’t help but remember the feeling when the blood sprayed on his face. He closed his eyes for a second, sitting on his heels next to Blake. He was breathing a little fast again.

  
Behind his closed eyes, he felt Blake’s hand on his face. Adam opened his eyes and looked at him. Blake’s arms were open, inviting Adam in. Adam smiled and lay down next to Blake, using his shoulder as a pillow. Blake hugged him and they stayed like that for a couple of minutes until Adam started to feel more secure again.

  
“Tell me if you want to get up.”

  
Adam nodded, kissing Blake’s cheek. Adam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he let it out, he felt a little lighter.  
“Can I ask you a question?” Adam asked, hoping for a straightforward answer, but not expecting one.

  
“Yeah.”

  
Adam edged his head a little and looked at Blake. “Why are you treated differently here?”  
Blake looked deep in Adam’s eyes for a couple of seconds before he said. “I have money.”

  
Adam shook his head, a little disappointed. He knew Blake was not going to answer him truthfully. “All the people in this floor have money, yet they’re not treated like you. They’re treated like criminals who have money. But you…?”

  
Blake didn’t respond.

  
“You’re allowed a gun. You treat the guards like your butlers. You get away with killing pe– You know what I mean.” Adam stopped. He didn’t see the point of listing down all the privileges Blake was getting.

  
Blake put his hand in Adam’s hair. It was warm. “You’re hungry?” he asked, probably trying to change the subject, Adam assumed.  
Adam sighed and nodded. He didn’t want to push it. Blake reached for something on the table and brought it to Adam. It was a box that had that chocolate brand logo on it. How ironic was that, right when they were talking about unusual privileges Blake had over everyone.

  
“Happy Valentine’s day,” Blake said casually as he returned to reading his book.

  
Adam didn’t receive it as casually. His eyes froze on Blake. He didn’t blink. “Is it today?”

  
Blake nodded. “You didn’t know?”

  
Adam shook his head. “I guess... I guess I gave up on romance.” He opened the box and smiled. “Thank you.”

  
Blake watched him as he put a piece of chocolate in his mouth. Before Adam could say anything else, Blake talked. “Do you understand the definition of a private prison?” he asked.

  
Adam sat the box aside on the pillow and paid attention. “Yeah,” Adam said, putting his hand with the chocolate down. He was actually surprised Blake was going to answer. “They’re, like, prisons that belong to, I dunno, people?”

  
Blake put the book on the table. He adjusted in his place and rested his back on the headboard. “They’re prisons run by individuals or corporations through some kind an agreement with the government. So it’s like a restaurant, for example. You own it, yes, but the government will watch over it for health codes, quality, safety, et cetera. If for any reason they found that it’s not up to the standard, it’s shut down.”

  
“Please don’t tell me you own this place!”  
Blake shook his head. “No, but a good friend does. Cameron Gold,” Blake said, before pausing for a second. “She owes me. That’s a nice way to say it.”

  
Adam smiled. “That’s a coincidence, getting locked up in a friend’s prison!”

  
Blake smiled and looked at Adam like he was saying “you poor innocent thing.” Adam got it. “It wasn’t a coincidence, was it?”

  
Blake’s smile got wider as he shook his head.  
His smile was contagious. Adam had the urge to kiss him and maybe a little bit more than just kissing. He crawled across the small space between him and Blake and straddled him, put his arms around Blake’s neck and kissed him. Blake opened his mouth for him. Adam smiled. It was rare for Blake to let Adam be in control of their kisses. There was a hint of a minty taste in Blake’s mouth, refreshing and sweet. Adam ran his tongue around Blake’s mouth, kissing him and biting on his lips.

  
“Thank you for telling me,” Adam said, against Blake’s lips. They kissed again.  
Adam pulled away a few minutes later and held a piece of chocolate to Blake. “Wanna take a bite?” he asked, not expecting Blake to do it. He hated sweets.

  
Blake shook his head.

  
Adam pushed it a little bit. “C’mon, just a little bit,” he said, sliding the little circle across Blake’s lips. “How can you be a sugar daddy, if you don’t even eat sweets?”

  
Blake chuckled.

  
Adam licked his lips. “If you take a bite, I’m gonna give you something even sweeter.”

Adam pressed his ass on top of Blake’s cock.  
Blake’s dimples were so deep when he leaned over and took a bite. Adam almost giggled like a little girl. He watched as Blake chewed on it slowly.

  
Adam kept his promise. He took a bite from it too before he stepped aside, next to Blake on the bed. He used his free hand to undo Blake’s pants and roll down the zipper. Adam kept a hand over Blake’s cock, as he held the chocolate to Blake’s lips again.

  
“One more bite, daddy,” he said. He cringed at himself for using the word “daddy.” He’d never even had a girl call him that before. He played it cool, though, especially when Blake’s cock twitched under his hand.

  
Blake took the rest of the chocolate ball in his mouth.

  
Adam leaned over and pulled Blake’s dick out. He glanced up at Blake once before he pushed the foreskin back and took the head in his mouth. Blake sucked in a deep breath and put his hand in Adam’s hair.

  
Adam let his saliva run over the head and used it as lube to stroke Blake’s cock easier, watching the foreskin moving back and forth over the head. It didn’t take long before Blake’s cock was rock hard in his hand, hot and pulsing. He smiled and put the head back in his mouth. He moved up and down, slurping down on the shaft and teasing the head. He ran his tongue all over, hungry to please. He would pause for a second, stroke the cock with his hand as he looked up at Blake, taking in his image, but he’d always come back and sucks Blake’s cock again nice and hard.

  
Blake’s precome mixed with his saliva, spreading the taste all over his mouth. Adam groaned, feeling his own dick filling up, too. He reached over and grabbed it through his pants. He continued sucking, not missing a beat, feeling the hard flesh sliding in and out his mouth, but not really going farther down to his throat. He pulled out.

  
Adam forced his hand away from his cock and grabbed Blake’s. He took a deep breath and put Blake’s cock in his mouth again. Gradually, he pushed his head lower and lower. He relaxed his throat and jaw, moving down little by little. It was always hard to deep throat Blake’s cock, but with a little determination he did it, and it felt so good, apparently for both of them.

  
Blake grunted with a little hiss. Adam groaned too. Blake’s cock was blocking his air passages, but he didn’t move. He felt Blake’s cock twitching and pulsing in his tight tunnel. Blake didn’t push him to do anything, he didn’t have to. Adam knew what Blake liked.

  
Adam pulled Blake’s cock from his mouth, leaving it drenched in his saliva, and looked at Blake. Blake was out of breath, a little frantic. Adam smiled and sucked on the head again, keeping their eyes locked. Adam’s cock was burning hot, pulsing in need. He felt so close and he hadn’t even touched it. He gave it one long tug through his pants to take the edge off, then went back working on Blake’s cock.

  
He sucked Blake’s cock again, taking it deep in his throat every now and then. It was easier now. Blake’s voice was getting a little more frequent. It ranged between an airy gasp to a loud grunt. It was all like music to Adam’s ear. It ended like it always ended, with a grunt, a tight grip in Adam’s hair and thick strips of cum, shooting in Adam’s mouth.

  
Adam’s body reacted differently this time, though. He felt heat in his stomach, wetness in his pants and a strong shudder that washed all over him. He moaned when he realized that the damp feeling in his pants was his own cum. He was dying of embarrassment, and almost kept his face buried in Blake’s crotch.

  
He continued to suck Blake’s cock until it was dry and soft again. He swallowed everything, not wasting a drop. Then, he fixed Blake’s dick in place and closed his pants.  
When he got up on his knees again, Blake brought him closer and kissed him again and again. His hands ran over Adam’s body, his ass and his legs. When his hands settled on Adam’s crotch Adam pulled away.

  
“You don’t have to do that,” he said a little out of breath.

  
Blake looked confused.

  
“I’m already done.”

  
Blake looked down at Adam’s crotch and chuckled. “You came?”

  
Adam’s face was burning when he nodded. “You turned me into a whore, you dimpled psychopath!”

  
Blake laughed out loud, making Adam’s heart skip a beat. Blake never laughed in front of him. His laughter sounded like nothing Adam heard before. It was loud but rumbling and so deep. Adam found himself smiling like an idiot before him.

  
They kissed for a while, before they got comfortable next to each other again. Blake grabbed his book again and opened it, while Adam had his headphones in his ears and started listening to his songs. Adam didn’t fall asleep. He simply enjoyed the comfortable silence they shared, the sweet hand brushing into his hair, the warm chest rising and falling under his cheek.

  
~~********~~

  
At some point after dinner, Adam and Blake cuddled again in bed. Luke and Jason were on Jason’s bed, playing some game with cards. Adam was watching as Blake read in his book. The book was not in English, which got Adam curious. “What are you reading?” Adam asked, looking at Blake.

  
Blake’s eyes shifted to Adam. “L'infinito,” Blake said, showing the book cover to Adam. “By Giacomo Leopardi.”

  
Adam’s eyes went wide, pushing his eyebrows up. Adam didn’t know what language it was, but Blake sounded so eloquent saying it. “Is this Spanish?”

  
Blake shook his head. “Italian.”

  
Adam edged his head and looked at Blake. “Why do you know Italian?”

  
“Jonathan was an Italian man. He visited Italy a lot. So, learning Italian was important to travel around with him.”

  
“That’s so cool!” Adam said. “Can you read for me a little? Pretty please?”

  
“From the book?”

  
Adam nodded.

  
Blake took a soft breath and shuffled the pages to the first one again and started reading.

  
“Sempre caro mi fu quest’ermo colle,  
e questa siepe, che da tanta parte…”  
( _This lonely hill was always dear to me,_  
_and this hedgerow, which cuts off the view_.)  
“dell’ultimo orizzonte il guardo esclude.  
Ma sedendo e mirando, interminati...”  
( _Of so much of the last horizon._  
_But sitting here and gazing, I can see_.)

 

Adam didn’t understand the language, but it sounded really good. He was watching Blake the whole time with wonder. Blake had a country accent. Maybe it was not as thick as Luke’s or Jason’s, but it was there. So it was a surprise, hearing him speak in such delicate language. “That was really sexy,” Adam admitted, still looking at Blake.

  
Blake smiled and looked back into his eyes. He was taking deep slow breaths, as his hand felt around Adam’s hair. It felt like they were the only ones in the cell, like everything had just disappeared and they were the only one left.

  
“Potrei guardarti tutto il giorno.”

  
Adam had no idea what that meant, but his heart skipped a beat anyway. “What does that mean?” His voice was husky, a little low.  
Blake smiled and felt his cheek with the back of his fingers. “I could look at you all day.”

  
Adam’s lips parted a little. A warm feeling was spreading in his chest, and entire body. Blake was looking at him, deep in the eyes. Adam had never felt so connected to someone before, so in sync with their soul. He couldn’t look away.

  
They kissed as if for the first time. Blake’s book fell of his hand as he reached to hold Adam’s chin up. A shiver went down Adam’s nerves as their lips touched. It was one of these moments when everything just made sense in his head, when everything was quiet and clear and peaceful. There were no thoughts crowding his brain, no fear, no worries, just him and Blake.

  
Adam could feel the heat from Blake’s body, so familiar he could drown in it. Blake gathered all of his hair, all of his face, all of him and claimed his lips. They moaned in each other’s mouths as Adam felt Blake’s chest up. He was going for more, he needed more. But –

  
“Please don’t tell me you’re fucking.” Luke’s loud voice broke their lips up.

  
Adam was out of breath already.

  
Blake looked at Luke for a second, before he put his head back onto the pillow. His lips were a little red, and so the skin around it. Adam was half on top of him, his left leg between Blake’s legs.

  
“It’s been a long day, so, could you at least… At least keep it down?” Luke continued.

  
Blake seemed a little disappointed, so Adam gave him a little kiss on the cheek. Blake looked at him for a long moment before he planted a small kiss on the lips.


	20. Chapter 20

It had been over two months since his case was reopened. Carson Daly would come every two weeks to update Adam, telling him how far they were with the investigation. However, he never told Adam the details about the new suspects or the new evidence that they had found. He said he couldn’t speak about an ongoing investigation. Adam understood, and after a while, he stopped asking too many question and just listened. Until one day, Daly decided to tell Adam everything and answer all his questions.

It was fifteen days into March. As always, Adam walked into the visitor’s room and found Daly, sitting in one of the aluminum chairs. When he saw Adam, he got up and shook Adam’s hand. He was buzzing with excitement, grinning wide. After they settled down, Daly did not turn on the camera this time, and only took out some files from his suitcase and put them in front of him.

“I have been waiting to see you all morning, Mr. Levine. I have great news,” Carson said, looking directly into Adam’s eyes. The smile on his face had Adam on the edge of his seat. He had guessed what Carson wanted to tell him, and his heart beat a little faster.

“Congratulation,” Carson said. Adam didn’t want to rush into conclusions, and only waited until Carson said the actual words. “We had a confession. The real killer is now in prison and the case is officially closed. You’ll be free man.”

Adam blinked at Carson for a few times. He was expecting the words, but they still fell as a surprise to his ears. He closed his eyes for a couple of seconds to absorb it, and took the longest and deepest breath. When he exhaled, it was like a huge weight dropped off his chest, his chest felt more open and his body felt lighter. He opened his eyes again, just to make sure he was not dreaming, and he wasn’t.

Adam smiled with a little carefulness. That could still be one of the cruelest jokes ever made in history. “You mean, like, I’m gonna leave this place?”

Carson was so happy for him that he touched Adam’s hand for a brief second. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Congratulations!”

Adam’s eyes welled with tears as he put his hands over his face, smiling and crying at the same time. “Oh my god!” Adam looked back at his lawyer and held his hand tight. “Thank you, thank you! Thank you so much!”

It didn’t matter how many times he thanked that man, it was not enough, and probably was never going to be. The appreciation he had for him was too big to put in words.

“You can now ask me anything you want,” Carson said. “I promise you clear answers this time.”

A part of Adam didn’t care anymore, but there was still this itch inside him to know who was responsible for his situation. He let go of Carson’s hand and adjusted in his seat. “Who did it? Do I know him?” Adam asked. The words were coming out so fast, so impatient.

Daly nodded, pulling a photo out of his file, but not showing it to Adam. He only left it on the table, facing down. “Yes, Adam – is it okay to call you Adam?”

Adam laughed, lightly. “You can call me anything,” he said, breathing a little fast still. “Anything at all!”

Carson smiled and nodded. “You know the killer very well, Adam.”

“Who is he?” Adam asked again. “Is he in prison now? Is he in this prison? Did you tell Mary’s parents?”

Carson nodded his head. “Yes, Mary’s parents have been informed yesterday and they wanted me to tell you that they were very sorry. They will be in the court for you.”

“Who is the killer? What’s his name?”

Carson cleared his throat. “As I said, you know the killer very well. The cops are holding HER in custody until the day of the court.” Carson said, putting the photo in front of Adam.

Adam was so taken aback by the pronoun ‘her’ that he didn’t look at the photo but at Carson. “Her?” He’d always thought it was a dude who killed Mary, maybe a jealous boyfriend. He looked down at the photo, and his eyes went wide. He stared at it for ages, at the brown eyes he’d once trusted, the blond hair the pink lips. He shook his head in disbelief. Then, he just started laughing like a crazy man. That bitch!

“Carrie. My…” Adam said, scratching his chin. He couldn’t even say what she was to him once. He felt betrayed. “She did it?”

Carson nodded, looking apologetic. “She was not in Boston that night, like you thought. She returned earlier that night, and went to your house to surprise you.”

“Surprise me? I guess she nailed that part pretty well, huh?” Adam said blankly, trying to make sense out of the news. Carrie was never a violent person. Yes, she had her moments, but who didn’t? She told him that she loved him, that she couldn’t live without him. He was going to marry her, for god’s sake. How could she do this to him?

“We found a blond hair in the victim’s mouth. Since Mary was blond, the forensics assumed that it was Mary’s hair. But, after analysis, the hair appeared to be dyed, which didn’t make any sense, since Mary is a natural blonde. We had hair samples from Carrie during the initial investigation, and it appeared to be a perfect match. Your ex-fiancée is a natural brunette isn’t this correct?” Adam nodded, and so the lawyer pulled a photo of a blond hair and two microscopic pictures and put them in front of Adam, facing up.

“When she was being questioned the first time, she said she had never met Mary. That’s when we got suspicious. Of course, this was not solid evidence. Mary could have picked the hair off any surface, but it was enough to get a warrant and re-open the case.” Cason paused to pull another photo out of the file, and put it in from of Adam. It was for a piece of glass. “You mentioned having a wine glass missing?”

Adam nodded frantically.

“We looked for it, but didn’t find it. Instead we found a piece of glass under the couch. The glass matched the glass of your wine glasses. It had blood on it and Carrie’s bloody fingerprints. We tested the blood, and found that it was Mary’s”

“What about the shirt, and my shoes?”

“We hired some professionals to examine the bloody shirt and shoe prints.” Carson pulled two more photos and put them on the table. “Yes, it was your shoes, but if you look closely at the pattern the shoes made… right there,” the lawyer said, pointing at the heel of the shoeprint. “Can you see how they’re dragged? That mean that whoever wore these shoes that night had smaller feet than yours. That’s why they couldn’t walk properly in them.”

“And the shirt?’

“You are left-handed right?”

Adam nodded.

“If you were the one who stabbed Mary, you would have used your dominant hand, which is the left. This stab is more compatible with a right-handed person, and so are the blood patterns on the shirt. We also found Carrie’s epithelial cells on the inner side of the shirt, and another hair.”

“What is epith...?”Adam couldn’t pronounce it right.

“It’s dead cell.” Carson said.

Adam frowned, confused.

“It’s like, urm, it’s... How do I put it in a simple way? It’s like how a dog sheds hair. Human shed dead skin cells so the new ones replace them.”

Adam was even more confused.

Carson sighed. “You don’t have to know this. You won’t need it.”

Adam agreed. “Did she say why she did it?”

“Mary saw Carrie enter your house and Carrie invited her in for a drink. Then, Mary told Behati that she slept with you. Th-” Carson was interrupted by his a phone call. He cancelled. “They had a little fight, before Carrie stabbed the girl, and then used your shoes to frame you. Carrie was wearing your shirt that night after a shower.”

Adam held his head in his hands and kept staring down at the photos. He didn’t want to believe it. His life was a lie. The people he called friends weren’t really his friends, and his fiancée tried to frame him. The only people that actually stayed by his side were the ones he least cared for. How many bad decisions he’d made along the years! “I can’t believe it. Why the hell didn’t she just ask me?”

“I’m sorry,” Carson said, taking the photos one by one to put them back inside the file.

“She left me here for a fucking year! I loved her! I was going to marry her!”

The phone rang again, and Carson canceled yet again. “Please, don’t let this affect you, Adam. The most important thing now is that you will be a free man.”

The phone rang again.

Adam took a long breath and let it out. Carson was right. He now had a new chance in life, a new chance to evaluate everything, sift through all the people he knew and find the ones that truly believed in him. “You look busy,” Adam said, sitting back.

“I am always busy, Adam,” Carson said. “There are a lot of people who need my help. I wish I could stay with you more and answer your questions, but I really can’t.”

“It’s okay.” Adam smiled. “You have done more than enough. Thank you! I know I will never thank you enough for this, but, honestly, I’m grateful for your help.”

“You’re welcome,” Carson said, standing. “Any other questions before I leave?”

Adam stood up. “Yeah, just one.” Carson nodded, so Adam asked away. “Is that it, like, do I leave now, or…?”

Carson put the files back in his briefcases. “You will be released in two days. There will a reverse judgment, where you will be officially pronounced as a free man. I’ll call you to let you know the date.”

“Thank you, man!”

 

~~******** ~~

 

The road to his cell felt shorter than normal. Adam felt like he was flying, lighter, high and beaming with joy. The news was like music to his ears. Yes, he was disappointed to know he was deceived by Carrie, but he was getting out! He was going to be free, and that was all that mattered.

“Okay, you are starting to creep me out.”

Adam heard Luke’s voice in the middle of the party in his head. He shook his head once before he looked up. He didn’t even realize that he was standing at the door of their cell.

Luke was waving a hand in front of Adam’s face to make sure he could see them. “Hey!! Where the hell were you?”

“I’m getting out,” Adam said, grabbing Luke’s shoulder. “They found the killer, the one that killed Mary! I’m gonna get out of here!”

The cards in Jason’s hand fell out of his hands and scattered everywhere. Luke started at him, dumbfounded. “You mean you... you mean you actually didn’t do it?” Luke asked, grasping desperately for words.

Adam nodded. “I told you, didn’t I?”

Luke looked genuinely shocked. “I assumed you were lying for sympathy or something!” Luke gave him a hard pat on his shoulder that pushed Adam forward a little. “Alright! You really are a good fella! Congrats!”

Jason walked to him and gave him a huge bear hug. “Congratulation, buddy. I’m really happy for you!”

Adam looked at Blake and found him smiling at him. Adam walked to him and sat next to him on the bed. He was grinning at him the whole time, not sure how to thank him. Then it hit Adam, the fact that he was not just getting out of the prison, but he was also leaving Blake. His smile faded away as he looked up at Blake and touched his face. He never thought he’d feel like, like he didn’t want to leave this place.

Blake put his book aside, reached for Adam and embraced him so tight. Adam hugged him back, and buried his face into Blake’s neck, inhaling his scent as if he wanted to imprint it in his memories forever. Blake kissed him gently on the lips. “Congratulations,” he said, touching Adam’s cheek with the back of his fingers.

Adam tried to smile but failed. He hugged Blake again, wanting to cry. “I’ll miss you,” Adam said.

“I know,” Blake said, quietly.

Adam held Blake’s face in his hands, feeling everything under them, Blake’s rough stubble, his skin, his warmth, his sharp jaw lines, everything. “I’m going to visit you a lot!”

Blake didn’t answer, and simply held Adam’s hand and smiled.

 

~~******** ~~

 

Time passed too fast as the release day approached, and with every hour that passed, Adam wanted to leave less. Yes, he was happy he was going to be a free man, but, the idea of living without Blake was unbearable. They were inseparable for a whole year. Blake became a part of Adam, and by leaving, he felt like he was ripping a huge piece out of his heart. It hurt.

They spend most of their time in bed, cuddling, or at the backyard pressed next to each other. Blake took him for a long walk one afternoon, where they didn’t say much, just enjoyed the fresh air and each other’s company. Blake didn’t read as much as he held Adam, and it made Adam a little happy.

“You’re going to be okay,” Blake said against Adam’s forehead before giving him another kiss there. They have been lying in bed all afternoon. The sun was setting and the lights were dimming. There was only one night left. This night.

“I know,” Adam said, hugging Blake some more. “I know.” He closed his eyes, trying to swallow a lump forming in his throat. They stayed quiet for a long while, before Adam looked up in Blake’s eyes. “Can I ask you a question? But answer me frankly.”

Blake took a deep breath and nodded. “Of course.”

Adam licked his lips. “Why me?” he asked, looking in Blake’s eyes. “Why did you choose me?”

“I told you…”

“Stop saying that I’m pretty!” Adam said a little sharply. “Everyone keeps saying that I look nothing like your type!”

“It doesn’t mean that you’re not beautiful.”

Adam smiled and kissed Blake on the lips.

Blake looked him in the eyes for a second, thinking. His hand was gentle in Adam’s hair. “When you first arrived here, you looked me straight in the eyes. I thought you were a little brat, who thinks himself so tough. Then, later I saw you at the visitors’ room, and you were crying. I had to take another look at you, so I stopped you.”

Adam remembered.

“Ever since, I knew I wanted you crying plenty on my dick.”

Adam laughed. “How nice of you.” He shook his head, a little amused. He hugged Blake, assuming that Blake was done.

But he wasn’t. “You sat by yourself.”

Adam blinked once and looked at Blake again.

“You tried to make friends, but you always looked out of your element. The difference between you and those people freaked you out at the beginning.”

Adam nodded.

“You always ate your sweets first, drank water and then started the savory food. You always leave some water in your cup, roll up your sleeves before your meals and tie your shoelaces three times.”

Adam’s lips parted, a little surprised that Blake knew all that. It wasn’t like they were a secret, but they were minor things that usually went by unnoticed. He had to be really watching to notice them.

“You never stay in one place for long,” Blake continued. “You’re not interested in drama, but always manage to start one.”

Adam smiled.

“You’re, like, out there, loud and always moving. So it was hard to ignore you.”

Adam smiled. “You were watching me?” he asked, playfully.

“More like stalking,” Blake retorted.

Adam laughed.

Blake watched him with a smile. “When... when I said you were worthless?”

Adam’s smile faded. “You don’t have to mention that. It’s from the past. I know you didn’t mean it.”

Blake lowered his gaze and looked regretful for a moment. “At that time, I thought you were a criminal. I thought you killed that girl. I didn’t know you were innocent back then and I was mad at myself for wanting you. I usually went for men with minor felonies, whose crimes are harmless. You were the exception.”

Adam smiled and cupped his cheek. “It’s okay,” he said, gently. “I was mad at myself for wanting you, too. That was before Luke told me about you.”

Blake smiled, leaned forwards and kissed him. Adam made a little noise of appreciation and leaned into him even more. “I’m gonna visit you a lot,” Adam said.

Blake smiled weakly, but didn’t answer. He simply kissed Adam again.

“But I’m not gonna have sex with you.”

Blake hummed with a chuckle.

“I’m gonna make you want me so much that you’re gonna want to leave this place! I know you can!”

Blake chuckled again. “Yeah?”

Adam nodded.

Blake stayed quiet for a moment. “What are we going to do outside?”

“How about a proper date, for example?” Adam said, playfully. “You can stay at my house for the weekends. I’m gonna make you breakfast every morning, and you are gonna make me dinner. We can go to the movies, or have a long walk at the beach. We can also go watch a game, eat hotdogs and drink a lot of beer. Or, we can just watch TV on the couch, all day long, eating pizza and junk food.”

Blake took a deep breath. “That sounds good. What else?”

Adam paused for a second. “What else do you want? This is the perfect relationship.”

Blake put a long kiss on Adam’s lips. Blake’s body was pressed heavy against his, his lips passionate and gentle, kissing Adam’s, and his arms embraced Adam possessively. Adam burnt everything about this moment in his memory, Blake’s taste, his warmth, his smell, the way Blake touched him, the way he said his name, everything.

 

~~******** ~~

 

In the morning, Adam felt a soft kiss on his forehead, and tight grip around his hand. When he opened his eyes, there was Blake. Adam smiled, and they kissed on the mouth.

“It’s time,” Blake whispered, gently.

He sat up and looked around. Luke and Jason were up too, sitting on their beds. There was an officer at the door. He was in the official uniform. Adam hoped he was going to get enough time to say goodbye to them probably, but the officer gave him two minutes.

“So, this is it?” Luke said, looking at Adam with a smile. “You’re leaving, finally!”

Adam rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna miss you, asshole.”

Jason laughed. “We’re gonna miss you, buddy.” He then looked at Luke. “All of us.”

“I’ll miss you too.”

It was when Adam felt Blake, getting up next to him. Adam smiled. Blake always looked nice in the morning, grumpy but nice. “Come here,” he said, voice incredibly deep from sleep.

Adam leaned forwards and let him kiss his lips, as he kissed back. “Promise me that you’ll be okay.”

“I promise.”

The officer called his name again, breaking them off. Adam wanted to cry as he forced himself to leave Blake’s side. He went to his bed and carried the box they had given him the other night to put his belongings in.

He took one last look at the three men and the cell before he was led outside by three guards. He kept his eyes on Blake the whole time, until he was too far away to see inside anymore.

They took him to the main building, into the showers. Jesse and Mickey, the guards informed him, had brought Adam some clean clothes from his house, some cologne. Adam had a long shower. He put on the clothes his friends sent, beige blazers, white t-shirt and some blue jeans. Then put his belonging in a bag the prison gave him and left.

The guards led him to the gate. Adam stood before it, scared of what was behind, but hopeful. He hadn’t seen anything beyond these walls for a whole year. He wondered how much the world changed this past year. When the gates were open, a cool breeze brushed over his face. He closed his eyes and let it linger for a few seconds more. A guard told him that there was a bus stop just a mile from the place, and gave Adam a little map before the gates were closed again.

As Adam walked by the side of the road, his eyes peered about, watching the life he’d been missing, the trees, the grass, and the cars. Everything felt like a dream, like it was not real. Not even the individuals. He forgot that people outside the prison wore clothes of their choosing.

As he sat down on the bench, waiting for the bus, a black Rolls Royce passed by, stopped a few yards from him and drove backward again. A man in a black suit and white shirt came out, and looked at Adam. “Mr. Levine?” he asked.

Adam wondered who he was and how he knew his name. “Do I know you?”

The man opened the back door to the car and waited for Adam.

“How do you know...?” Adam asked, but stopped when he saw Carson, his lawyer, in the car. “Hi, I didn’t know it was you.”

“It’s okay,” Daly said. “Come on in.”

Adam nodded. He got in the car on the back seat next to Carson. The suited man took his bag and closed the door. The car started moving shortly after.

Carson had a Bluetooth phone in his ear and a laptop on his legs. He was ending a call with someone when the Adam got in.

“Sorry,” Carson said, after he ended the call. “It’s from work. Things have be-”

His phone rang again. He saw the name on the screen and grunted, tilting his head back. He picked up, still. “I knew you were going to call,” he said in the phone, with no hellos. “Yes, he’s with me.” He paused for a second. “I said he’s with me. What else do you want?” Carson said again, hands ticking on the keyboard at the same time. “I’m gonna take him to a nice hotel, until the date of the court hearing.” He looked at Adam and smiled.

Adam wondered if they were talking about him.

“Yeah,” Carson continued saying. “Yes. I sent someone to clean his house, yes. I know how he gets when he’s not pleased. Trust me, I know.”

That was when Adam knew they were talking about Blake. He smiled.

“Well normal people will get an appointment from my assistant. They don’t just show up in the middle of...! Do you know how many cases I had to refer to my colleagues?” He paused for a second to listen to person on the other line. He was getting angrier by the second. “Look, I can’t take him home, end of the story! I’m checking him in a room at the hotel with me. No, don’t forward the damn call to Gwen! You know what? How about I ask him? If he wants to go home, I’ll take him. If not, I’ll take him to the hotel! Well, if he wants him to be comfortable, he wouldn’t mind doing what makes him happy, would he?”

Carson then looked at him, begging with his eyes. “Do you want to go home, or come with me to a VERY nice hotel?” He put the phone up so the other person on the other line could hear.

Adam shrugged. “I don’t know. I really don’t want to go home right now,” Adam said, still scared to go home where he found the dead girl. “Actually, I don’t think I can go back at all.”

Carson sighed, in relief. “See?” He sighed again. “Finally! Next time ask your boss to check with my secretary first. I’m not his slave! Yeah, thank you my ass! I’m serio-!” Carson looked at his phone. “She hung up on me!”

With that Carson put the phone in his pockets and continued typing on his keyboard, mumbling cusses at the entire organization. “Sorry about that. Please don’t take that personally, but these people are just impossible to reason with! And their boss is like, god, he has a brain of steel! He gets whatever he wants, whenever he wants and however he wants it, regardless of how people feel about it.”

“He’s not a bad person. He’s sweet.”

Carson rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you have to say that. He’s the one who hired me to represent you! I only took your case because that maniac asked me to, and not in a good way!”

“How do you know him?” Adam asked, looking at Carson.

Carson sighed. “I’m his lawyer,” he said, closing the lid of his laptop down. “Didn’t he tell you?”

Adam shook his head.

Carson didn’t look surprised. “I’m the one who handles his company’s legal work. Also the one who took his case three years ago, and made sure he went to a prison of his choice.” Carson looked irritated. “That idiot actually gave himself up! He’d been a person of interest for thirteen years. No one knew where he lived and so little knew what he looked like.”

“So,” Adam started, “he forced you to take my case?”

“Depends on how you look at it. One night, I came back home to find him waiting in my living room, drinking my damn expensive vodka, with a gun and seven scary-ass men in black. So, yeah, he kind of did, in a way.”

“Why didn’t you just say no?”

“Blake was not going to stop. He was convinced that you were innocent, and then tried to make me feel guilty for not doing anything. He was going to get me to take the case one way or another, even if he had to kill all my clients!”

Adam interrupted. “He would never do that!”

Carson sighed. “Yes, whatever. But, he was going to find a way to make my life miserable. So, I took your case. Look, don’t take this personally, but I usually handle a maximum of five cases at a time, and I don’t like to overload. Nothing good comes from that.”

Adam shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I totally get it.”

“You must be really special, though, that he had to go through all the trouble. I could have sued him and the prison on so many levels!”

Adam smiled, feeling his face warm. When he looked out the window, his shoulders relaxed, and his lips spread with a blissful smile. “The ocean,” he whispered to himself.

A shiver went through his body. It was like the first time he’d seen the ocean when he was nine. He was taken aback with the grandness of it, the blue color and the reflection of the sunlight on the surface. It was like he was seeing the ocean for the first time.

It was perfect.

 

~~******** ~~

 

The hotel where they stayed was huge, and by huge, Adam meant about fifty stories in height. Adam was in awe. He’d only seen places like this in movies, but never in real life. There were mirrors everywhere, golden decorations, plants, glass doors, flowers, and beautiful people. Adam felt too underdressed, and way out of place.

After Carson checked in at the reception, he gave Adam a card and kept one. Then they headed to an elevator. The elevator smelled like lemon and had beautiful waiting music. Carson pressed on the button that said 36, and the doors closed. The elevator stopped a couple of times so more people could come in. But it didn’t take too long to get to their floor.

“You’re going to have a separate room, because I’m expecting company today. I hope it is okay.”

Adam smiled. “It’s all good.”

Carson nodded before he walked down the wide hallway. “I’m gonna send someone with breakfast. Maybe later you can go downstairs for the spa, or maybe the pool? There will be a suit delivered to your room today, for the court. Oh, and please make sure you get a haircut, shave and trim your nails. You have to look clean for the courtroom.” He stopped in front of a room that had number 323B on the door. “This will be your room. I will be the next room.”

Adam nodded, indicating that he understood. Carson waited for Adam to put the card in the door and get inside before he walked towards his room.

The room was out of this world. As he walked in, he put his bag on a table next to the door and stood in the middle of the room. It was clean, spacious and well decorated. The picture window on the right overlooked the wide ocean, and illuminated the entire room easily. There were a lot of flowers on almost every table, which made the room smell like heaven.

It didn’t take long before breakfast arrived. There were seven plates on the cart, orange juice and coffee. Adam thought it was a bit too much, but still uncovered them all. There were pancakes, waffles, eggs and bacon and, chive omelet, croissants, eggs Benedict and French toast. There was also a card in the middle.

_“I didn’t know what you liked, so I ordered a few dishes. Pick what you like._

_–CD”_

Adam was most excited about the coffee. The smell was intoxicating, and already refreshed his tired brain. He took a big sip, and let it spread on his tongue. It was so smooth. Adam couldn’t help the smile that spread on his lips. It was the most satisfying feeling in the world. He took another sip before he began his breakfast.

After breakfast, he went for a shower. The bathroom was not as big as the room but was clean and modern. There were a big selection of shampoos and body gels for all hair and skin types. Adam spotted a shampoo bottle that smelled like lavender and decided he wanted to try it. He was not disappointed by the quality or the fragrance.

After lunch, Adam decided to take Carson’s advice and went to the spa. It wasn’t hard to find it, after he’d asked at the reception. He also asked about how things worked, and they told him that they only needed the room card to pay for everything. The expenses would automatically be added to the final bill.

He got a haircut, and shaved off smooth. Then he got his nails trimmed and cleaned. He spent some time at the pool, sitting by the bar. He’d ordered a martini and sipped it slowly as he listened to the music playing. He felt like he was trying to do everything at once, everything he couldn’t do in prison. He saw a lot of people, laughing, talking and dancing. He just sat in his place and watched. Before, he would have probably been doing what they were doing, but something changed. He couldn’t keep up.

Adam finished his drink and went back to his room. There was a note in an envelope on the door, saying that his suit had been delivered along with a package that was left on the bed. When he came in, he saw the suit neatly spread over the couch, and a small black box on the pillows. He knew immediately that it was from Blake.

Adam rushed to the bed and sat down. The box was wrapped in expensive black paper like always. When he carefully removed it, a card fell out. Adam grabbed the card and opened it.

_“Happy birthday.”_

Adam opened the small box and smiled at the gift. It was a silver watch, wrapped around a tiny pillow. Adam took it out and eyed it carefully, vibrating with both excitement and happiness. He held it to his lips and kissed it. For a second, he could swear it smelled like Blake.

After dinner, Adam decided to go to bed early. The bed was so soft, and luxurious, but the fact that Blake was not around made it seem like any other bed. Adam was tired. He and Blake had barely slept the other night. His eyes didn’t take long to close.

 

~~******** ~~

 

The morning came and Adam woke up to someone shaking him. He was on his stomach. His head snapped in that direction only to see his lawyer. How did he get in here? So he asked.

“I told the reception it’s an emergency and they gave me a key. We need to go,” he said, putting Adam’s suit on the bed. Adam was still too shaken to comply. “C’mon, Adam, we’re going to be late!”

Adam nodded, and stumbled on his way out of the bed. Carson walked towards the door and left after he called out Adam’s name one more time to make sure he was wide awake. “I’ll be waiting at the reception,” he said before he closed the door.

After Carson left, Adam took off his clothes and put his suit on. After he was done, he knotted a perfect tie, brushed his teeth and fixed his hair. He put Blake’s watch around his wrist as he headed out.

At the reception, Carson was talking to someone in a trench coat. When he saw Adam, he asked him to wait in the car. Adam did, and Carson joined him in the car a few minutes later.

They arrived at the court house three minutes before the judge. His friends Jesse and Mickey were there, in the front row. Adam smiled at them and went to sit behind a table at the front with his lawyer.

He took one look at the judge and knew that she was the same judge that had sentenced him to life. He wanted to be angry at her, but it wasn’t really her fault. She judged based on the evidence that was presented for her. The door opened with a loud creak that got everyone’s attention. It was Carrie, led by a male officer to her chair on the other side. Their eyes met, and Adam stared at her for the longest time. He still couldn’t believe that she let him go to jail when she knew that he was innocent.

The trial did not take too long. The judge said a few things, and revised a few points of evidence with the prosecutors. Then she sentenced Carrie for life, and dropped all charges from Adam’s file. The court gave him five thousand dollars for all the emotional and physical stress he’d went through in prison. Adam did not care about that money. He was just happy he was free, and that the real killer was now behind bars.

With that, the case was, officially, closed, and they were given permission to leave. After they left the courthouse, Adam stood at the door, just looking ahead. He was happy that he got out, but he unsure of what to do next. Carson came from behind him and patted his back. “Congrats! Come on, I’ll take you home.”

“No, no,” Adam said, shaking his head. “I’m going to move. I... I think I’m gonna stay at my mother’s for a while.”

Carson nodded. “I understand, but you still need your belongings, right? I’ll ask one of the drivers to take you home to get your stuff, and then he’ll drive you to wherever you want.”

Adam shook his head. “It’s okay. I have Jesse and Mickey with me. I’m going to be fine.”

Jesse had already stopped a taxi, and was waving for Adam to hurry up.

Adam waved back and then looked at Carson. “Thank you for all your help, man. I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome, Adam.” Carson shook Adam’s hand again, before he got into his car.

It was all over.

Adam still couldn’t believe it.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry in advance.

Going back to his house again was not as bad as Adam thought. Everything was cleaned to perfection and folded into place. Adam remembered Carson saying something about having the place cleaned, and he knew that Blake was the one who’d ordered it. Still, Adam couldn’t stay. It was too hard to get that image of Mary lying there in a pool of her own blood out of his head. So, he packed most of his stuff in a few boxes and left.

Jesse and Mickey helped him stuff them into a taxi trunk. These two had been with him all day. So, as soon as his things were packed into the taxi, Adam asked them to go home already. They refused at first, but Adam insisted until they finally complied. He even promised to cook them dinner the following week.

His mother’s house was on the other end of the city, so it took a long three hours’ drive to get there, and another ten minutes for him and the driver to unload the trunk at the front door. Adam gave the driver his fee, plus a big tip. He’d had his belongings back from the court and found that he still had some money left in his wallet.

Standing in front of his family home felt surreal. He spent a few minutes, just staring at the structure before his eyes. He remembered the colors being bluer and brighter, the grass greener and the porch cleaner and stronger. How long had this house been neglected to look like this, paler, weaker and sad?

Adam took a long, deep breath before he reached down for his bags. He noticed his neighbors, two ladies, standing at the next door. They were whispering as they looked in his direction. A child stood between them waved at Adam. When Adam smiled the mother sent him inside. Adam didn’t comment, only rolled his eyes and carried his bags inside.

The inside of the house did not look better than the outside. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. Newspapers were piled up next to the front door, preventing it from opening all the way, and his mother’s little garden was dead. Adam was looking around with mourning in his eyes. This house used to be so beautiful and clean. People always assumed that his mother was the one who made sure it stayed that way, but it was actually Adam’s father. He had an OCD that kept him restless in dirty places.

His mother was the chef at the house, though, a very good chef. Cooking was something that ran in her family. She would always use the fresh organic ingredients she grew at the backyard. On Sundays she would make an apple pie and leave it to cool on the kitchen counters. The house would smell like pastry all afternoon.

Adam smiled at the memories as he dragged his finger over the dirty piano. The grey dust covered the tip of his finger, making him cringe a little. He used to hate the piano lessons his mother forced him to take when he was ten, but came to love it when he was teenager. He wished he could play something now, but that piano had been broken since he went to college.

Jesse had told Adam that no one visited this house since Adam’s mother had passed away. Adam realized that he still hadn’t visited his mother’s grave. So, he took his suitcases up to his old room and went to the cemetery. On the way, he bought some nice flowers, lilies. His mother loved lilies. When he arrived at the cemetery, he asked a man there about where she was buried. The man recognized the name immediately and took Adam to his mother’s grave.

When they arrived, the man pointed a beautiful green marbled tombstone, which had his mother’s name on it written in italic silver. There was fresh bouquet of lilies in front of it, wrapped in beautiful paper that had a logo on it. It was the same logo on Adam’s flowers. Adam stood in front of the stone and stared at his mother’s name for a long time. He kneeled before it and sat on his heels. It felt... not real. A tear rolled down his cheek as he reached over and touched her name.

“I’m out, mom,” Adam said, a little low. That was all he could say. His voice was choked with the lump forming in his throat. He put the lilies next to the already existing bouquet and sat on his heels.

“Can I help you with anything else, son?”

Adam heard the old man’s voice behind him. He thought the man had already left. He wiped his tears away, and looked over his shoulder. “Do you know who brought these flowers?”

The man shook his head. “No, but they are replaced every week. The store is just around the corner. When I asked, the girl that delivers said that someone asked her to deliver lilies to this place every week.”

Adam smiled. He knew who it was. “Thank you,” Adam said to the old man. “I won’t need anything else, thank you.”

“Alright, I will give you some privacy. I’ll be at the gate if you need anything.”

Adam nodded, and watched as the man walked away.

Then he looked at the stone. “His name is Blake,” he said, imagining his mother sitting right before him. “He’s the one who brings the flowers, just in case you’re wondering.” Adam paused for a second, looking at the lilies. “I wanted you to meet him. He’s a little tough, but he’s great. You would have loved him.”

He’d missed talking to her.

 

**~~****~~ **

 

After Adam went back to his family house, he closed the door and looked around. There was so much work that needed to be done, but not enough hands. He decided to go easy. It’d been a long day, and there was no reason to rush himself. He rolled up his sleeves and took his boxes upstairs.

He spent the entire evening cleaning his room, unpacking and putting everything in place. He’d taken a lot of things from his house, not just clothes. He took new sheets, his grooming kit, his brushes and his alarm clock. As he cleaned, he felt as if his father’s spirit touched his soul, because he was not just tidying anymore, he was on his knees scrubbing the floors, the windows and the walls.

After his room was squeaky clean, he took a very long, hot shower and went to sleep. His bed was not as nice as the hotel’s bed, but at least felt like home. As he drifted to sleep, he thought of Blake. It had been only two days since he was released, and yet, he was missing Blake so much. He wrapped his arms around himself, and sank deeper under the covers. He couldn’t help but feel lonely. There were no one snoring around him and no one next to him. The bed felt cold. The room felt too big, which was funny, because he remembered complaining in high school a lot about how small it was. It took a while, but eventually, he fell asleep.

 

~~******** ~~

 

The following week, Adam did a lot of things. First, he cashed out the five grand given to him by the court. He hired someone to tend the garden, remove all the weeds and dead plants and spray for insects. At the same time, he hired a plumber and an electrician to fix all the leaking pipes and exposed wires, respectively. He started cleaning around the house himself. He collected all the newspapers in the house, shoved them in huge garbage bag, and put them in front of the house for the truck. He cleaned the living room, bought a new TV and connected it with his Xbox.

By the end of the first week, he had spent the five grand, had his garden tended, and the lights had stopped flickering. Jesse helped him bring some kitchen appliances and electronics from Adam’s old house and installed them in the family home. Mickey sold the ring Carrie gave back to Adam and called a real estate agent about Adam’s house to put up for sale.

Adam used half of the money to do some roofing, fix the porch and the piano. He also installed two alarms and security systems. Within three weeks, Adam managed to get his family house back to how it was, if not better. He kept a few things, though, like his parents chairs next to the fire place, his mother’s knitting basket and his father’s reading glasses, all on a small table close to the fireplace.

During those three weeks, he signed up for self-defense classes and bought a gun, which was a more complicated procedure than he’d initially thought.

The first thing he’d done after he cleaned the house was invite his friends and their families for dinner. He even invited Behati, who happily accepted the invitation. He finally met Kevin, Jesse’s fiancé, as well as Sally, Mickey’s wife, Lilly, Mickey’s new baby, and Rose and Gio, Behati’s daughters. He cooked a few things from his mother’s recipe book and bought some wine. Everyone was so nice. They didn’t talk much about the time Adam had spent in prison, but when they did it was all humor that was light on Adam’s heart.

His family also visited him one Thursday, and brought so much food with them to celebrate. Most of his uncles from his mother’s side were chefs, so food was always a huge part of their life. They had a little reunion at the backyard. They talked a lot about his time in prison, especially Adam’s uncle Don, who kept ranting at how corrupted the system was. They didn’t leave him that day and spent the whole night with him.

In the morning of the following day, Adam put on some clothes at eleven o’clock in the morning and tried to sneak out of the house, but his aunt Sandy caught him. “Where are you going?” she asked, putting a hand on her hip. She was his mother’s older sister, the responsible one.

“Urm, I just need to meet someone,” Adam said, scratching his chin. “I might be late.”

She twisted her lips. “You know your uncle George is coming tonight for dinner, right?” she reminded. “To see you.”

Adam was fidgeting in his place. “I’ll be here before night time, I promise. I just need to do something.”

She sighed and shook her head. “Alright, hon. But you take care of yourself, alright? I want you here before eight.”

Adam promised and hugged her before he walked out the door. The cab he’d called was already outside, so he got in and gave the man the address.

“LA private prison, please.”

The cab took off.

It’d been too long since he saw Blake’s face, too many lonely nights, too much aching. Adam had wanted to visit sooner, but every time something happened, postponing his plans. That Friday, Adam didn’t care if he was going to anger his family. He just couldn’t help himself. He needed to see Blake, and he needed to hear his voice so bad it started to physically hurt.

The two hour drive felt as if it was dragging to days. He kept asking the driver to speed up, but the driver couldn’t exceed the speed limit. When the taxi, finally, arrived to the right place, Adam gave the man the money and got out fast.

Adam walked into the building and looked around. He didn’t know how this was going to work. He never visited anyone in prison before. He asked someone at the reception, who told him that he needed to sign his name and the prisoner’s. Adam did. When the lady saw the name of the prisoner Adam wanted to see, she looked up at Adam with wide eyes. “Wait here.”

He waited. He was nervous, a little frantic. He looked at the clock a couple of times, and then sat down on one of the plastic chairs attached to the wall. It took fifteen minutes for the lady to come back. When she did, Adam stood upright and walked back to the reception counter.

“I’m sorry,” she said, blankly, “but you are not on Mr. Shelton’s visitors list.”

Adam’s heart dropped. “Oh,” he responded. “Could you just tell him that it’s me? I’m sure that he will let me in.”

She didn’t meet his gaze. “We have informed him. He doesn’t want to see you. I’m sorry, but he asked us to tell you not to come again.”

Adam was not as hurt as he was confused. He was sure that they got it wrong, and that Blake would never say that. He was sure. He refused to leave before they gave him proof, and even made a protest at the reception. Eventually, two guards escorted him out, and asked him to never come back. One of them had the tattoo on his left forearm, and that was his proof that the order had indeed came from Blake.

It was like someone had punched him hard in the gut, crushed his head against a concrete wall and drowned him in his own blood. He stood there in his place for the longest time, watching the two officers as they walked back inside. His heart was throbbing, hurt and betrayed. Why would Blake do this?

He went back home eventually and his aunt took him in her arms, not sure what was going on and the reason for the sudden mood change. She was a nice woman, warm. It was a shame she never had children, because she would have been an excellent mother. At eight, his Uncle George arrived as promised, and they sat down at the living room. They talked, well, his uncle talked, while Adam just sat there, detached from reality. His uncle offered him his job back, and Adam accepted with a weak smile. As the night progressed, he tried to get out of his head. His family had traveled miles to see him, so the least he could do was smile in their faces.

After they left, he locked the doors, crawled in his bed, gave up the mask he’d put on his face, and stared at the dark. He wanted to cry. He did cry. The heartbreak had turned into physical pain, radiating to his fingers and toes. Why would Blake do this? It was the only question that spun in his head.

 

~~******** ~~

 

“What do you mean he refused to see you?” Jesse said, slamming his hand onto the dinner table. “That’s bullshit!”

It was eight in the evening, and they’ve just finished dinner and started desert. Behati and Mickey were as confused as him and Jesse, but unlike Jesse, they didn’t respond with anger. They simply sipped on their wine and bowed their heads.

“Calm down, Jesse,” Adam said. He was exhausted himself from all the anger piling up inside him. He no longer had the energy to raise his voice.

“What do you mean calm down?” Jesse came back, even angrier. “That son of a bitch used you! God, if I get my hands on him, I’m gonna fucking choke him!”

Adam still didn’t want to believe that Blake was a bad guy. There must have been some kind of explanation. But he didn’t know it, and the worst thing was, he couldn’t even look Blake face to face to ask him. That cowardly son of a bitch!

“Maybe there’s a reason why he didn’t want you there?” Behati said, calmly, setting her glass on the table. “You said that there are people after him, right?”

Adam blinked.

“Maybe he just didn’t want them to know you two were close,” she continued, offering a little shrug. “I mean, now that you’re not next to him anymore, it’s impossible for him to keep you safe.”

Adam couldn’t believe he didn’t think of that. He was so wrapped up in his anger, frustration, and confusion that his rational mind had stopped working altogether. It would have made sense, why Adam was not on the visitor’s list, why he refused to see Adam. Adam curled his hands into two fists, now angry at an entirely different reason. If that’s what Blake thought of him, then that meant he though Adam couldn’t take care of himself, which was infuriating.

“Even if he was trying to keep him safe?” Jesse said, visibly less angry. “This is a shitty way to break up with someone. It’s worse than a breakup text! Besides, Adam is not a child. He can take care of himself! How bad are the people after him anyway?”

Worst of the worst, Adam thought to himself.

“Look,” Behati said, holding Adam’s hand. “Just try again. If he still refuses to see you, then maybe it’s best to let it go.”

Adam gritted his teeth. There was no way he was letting this go, at least not before he punched Blake across his damn stupid face. Still he had one problem. He remembered Luke saying that Blake was a stubborn guy, and something in Adam was sure that Blake was not going to meet him, no matter what he did. So, he needed a plan.

 

~~******** ~~

 

The woman behind the reception counter sighed when she saw him at the door, dropped what she had in her hands and got up. Adam had paid the prison another visit. This time, he had a plan to get Blake out to meet him. “Look, I don’t need trouble. It’s been a long day,” she said, without even listening to him. “He doesn’t want to see you.”

Adam set his jaw and looked her in the eyes, angry. “I need to ask him a question. Please?”

She sighed again. “I’m sure you can get to the answer yourself, sweetie. Please leave.”

“Someone has been sending me death threats, okay?” Adam lied, making her facial expression drop. “I told the police, but they can’t do anything for me. I need to know who sent them. They say they know Blake.”

She breathed out. “I’m sorry, but, there isn’t anything we can do for you. You have to trust the police department in your area.”

“Look, I know it is Louis, okay?” he said, trying his best to seem convincing. He was a poker player. He knew how to bluff. “If you don’t let me see Blake, I’m gonna pay Louis a little visit and give him a piece of my mind. Why don’t you tell Blake that?”

She gave him a bored look. “You’re not gonna do that.”

Apparently, she’s a hard nut to crack. He held his hand up. “Give me a visitor’s sheet. I’ll fill it out right now!”

She probably wanted to know how far he could go with his lie. What she didn’t know was that he was the most stubborn son of a bitch she was about to meet. He filled out the paper in less than five minutes, and signed it. She looked at it and then back at him.

“I’m gonna sign it,” she said as if threatening, holding the pen. “So, if you want to drop the act? Any moment now!”

“Sign it, please.”

She put the pen down on the paper, looking him in the eyes. It felt like forever before she wrote the first letter of her name. Adam couldn’t believe he was going to do this, but this was the only way he could think of. Blake was never going out of his cell unless he though Adam was in some sort of danger. She put the pen down and put the paper in the shredder. “I’m gonna do you a favor here,” she said, sitting back down. He looked at her with astonishment. “Go home. You don’t want to play with fire, son. You’re too young to be involved in this.”

Adam gritted his teeth, turned on his heel and went to the next guy behind the reception counter. “Hi, I’m here for a visit.”

The guy nodded at him as he put the phone receiver on his ear. “Fill out this sheet... Ah, Jane, hi!” Then he was distracted by his phone call. Adam grabbed the sheet and again filled it with his and Louis’ names. He gave the lady one more look before he signed it and gave it to the guy.

The guy typed something on his computer, and then looked at Adam. “You’re not on the visitor’s list,” he said, still distracted by his phone call. “Sit down, I’ll send someone to see if he wants to meet up with you or add you to his list. He doesn’t have many people here.”

Adam’s heart clenched in terror. Shit. He was actually going to do this. What if he actually met up with Louis, then what? He didn’t have any real messages, just one letter that said “Fuck you, asshole,” and it was directed to Blake. Louis was probably going to use this opportunity to break his neck, maybe rip his throat out with his bare hands!

The guy behind the counter sent someone, and Adam almost stopped him, if it weren’t for the lady. She shouted at the officer to stop him where he was. She gave Adam a very angry look as she got out of her chair and disappeared in the back room again. Adam cheered in his head for his little victory.

Twenty minutes passed and the lady finally came back with her hands clutched at her hips. Adam got up and walked to her. “So?”

She squinted her eyes at him. “You’re a stubborn son of a bitch, aren’t you?”

Adam shrugged. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

She rolled her eyes. “Follow me.”

The lady officer took him to the main building and walked before him. It was quiet, and the hallways looked cleaner than usual. She took him to the room where he used to meet Cason, and took all his belongings before he was let in. After she closed the door, he sat down on the aluminum chair and waited. However, he couldn’t sit still. He got up again, looked in the mirror, and fixed his blue cardigan and white t-shirt.

Suddenly, he heard Blake’s voice through the closed door. His heart almost broke his chest cage and flew to him. Blake talked for too long, before the door opened. Even then, Blake was still too busy talking to someone to pay attention. When Adam’s eyes fell on him, his hand gripped on the chair to stop himself from moving too much.

Finally, the man Blake was talking to left and Blake walked into the room. When his eyes fell on Adam he stopped in his place for a few seconds. His eyes squinted in a combination of anger and frustration.

Adam waited until the door was closed to walk to Blake. With one swift motion, he slapped Blake so hard that his face turned to the side. “You fucking asshole,” he yelled. “Fuck you, you cruel asshole!”

Blake kept his face turned to the side, and didn’t react. “You said someone sent you death threats?”

Adam gritted his teeth, pulled the envelope out of his pocket and shoved it at Blake’s chest.

Blake waited a second, then took it and opened it. His eyes closed as if in relief and his shoulders sagged a little. “This is not a joke,” Blake said, glaring at Adam. “You were going to meet Louis for this?”

Adam’s hands curled in two fists. “Yes.”

Blake threw the paper away and turned on his heel. “I have no time for this.”

“I swear to god, Shelton, if you turn your back on me, I actually will meet him! If you stop me from coming, I’ll send him letters with my address, and if you, by some miracle, stop that too, I’ll send my friends, and you won’t know what they look like or who they are! I’ll let him come to me and take his revenge on me!”

Blake stopped in his place. “You’re not gonna do that.”

“Try me, asshole!”

Blake turned around and took a deep breath. His neck was clenched. “What do you want? If you want to be on my visitor’s list, that’s not going to happen.”

“Why?” Adam asked, simply.

“Because I don’t want you on it.”

“Is there someone else?”

“What? No!” Blake said, looking confused by the accusation.

“Because it’s not safe for me?”

That seemed to hit home for Blake. He looked away and scratched his chin. “Yes. Can you go home now?”

“No,” he answered. “This is not a reason to break up with me. I can take care of myself! How long will it take for you to realize that I’m not a fucking child? You don’t see me drooling and shitting myself all over the place, Blake. So, why don’t you let me worry about my security?”

“Because you have no idea what kind of people are after me!” Blake finally snapped. “They won’t hesitate to skin you alive, do you understand? They won’t hesitate to kill you!”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Adam yelled back. “That’s why I took defense classes, that’s why I put alarms at my house and that’s fucking why I bought a damn gun!”

“You bought a gun?” Blake asked, confused. “Why the hell would you do something so stupid? They’re not toys! You can hurt yourself!”

Adam grabbed his head and turned around and back again like he was going crazy. “I’m not a dumb child, Blake! I know how to use a damn gun. What do you expect I’ll do with it, point at myself instead the intruders?” he yelled. “And as for the reason, I bought it because I wanted to be with you!”

“Why the hell would you want that? There’s nothing about me that promotes ‘lover’s material,’ in case you’ve missed it.”

“Because I love you, you fucking dumb, stupid jerk!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. “I know you’re impossible, self-absorbed, stubborn and the most unbearable son of a bitch on the planet, but I love you just as you are, with all the mess around you and all your fucking shitty ways in handling things!”

Blake stood still, staring at Adam, dumbfounded. Adam stared back, exasperated, panting and shaking all together. “What do you mean you love me?” Blake asked.

Adam clenched his jaw. “What do you think, you dumb shit?”

Blake shook his head. “You can’t!” he said, before looking away. His ears were bright red and it the redness gradually spread to his cheeks. “You can’t love me!”

“You can’t tell me what to feel,” Adam said, calmly. “And please drop the act, and stop pretending that you don’t love me back!”

Blake’s eyes bored into him, swimming with angst. “Maybe that’s true.”

“It is true!”

“This doesn’t mean this should continue. There’s no bright side to life with me.”

“I don’t care!”

“People will be after you!”

“I can take care of myself!”

“You’ll be around dead people, 24\7!”

Adam set his jaw. “You kill them for a reason, and I trust your judgment.”

Blake pressed his lips together in a tight line. “If something happens to you...?”

“Nothing will happen to me,” Adam said, cutting him off. He reached tout o hold Blake’s hand. Blake didn’t pull away. “Besides, I’m waiting for you to break out of here. I know you can do it! You came here because you wanted to, and you will leave here when you want to. When you do, you’ll find me waiting.”

“If you leave now, you can start over,” Blake said, eyes urging Adam to agree. “You can marry Behati, have kids, a home and real life!”

“I don’t want that life,” he said. Slowly, he stepped forwards until their chests touched. He held Blake’s cheeks in his hands and pulled him down. “I don’t want any life that doesn’t have you in it.”

Blake stared at him for a long minute, visibly relaxing more and more by the second. Then he took a deep breath and let it out. His entire body sagged and his hand tightened around Adam’s. They kissed. Adam wanted to cry when Blake didn’t push him away and kissed back, ever so lightly. He smelled the same, felt the same and it made Adam shiver. He missed that, he missed everything.

“You’re impossible to reason with,” Blake said, softly against Adam’s lips.

Adam smiled. “I heard people say the same thing about you,” he said, before kissing Blake again. “I guess we’re best suited for each other.”

“We’ll drive each other crazy.” Blake smiled and wrapped him in his arms. He took a deep breath and put a kiss on top of Adam’s head. Adam put his cheek on Blake’s chest and closed his eyes. For a second, he felt like he was dreaming, like he was in one of his daydreams, except that was real. The warmth radiating from Blake’s body was real, familiar and comforting.

“If you ever break up with me again,” Adam said, edging his head a little to look up at Blake. “I’m gonna cut off your balls and shove them down your throat.”

Blake smirked. “I need to steal that and add it to my threats collection.”

Adam giggled and closed his eyes. Blake understood the gesture, leaned in and kissed his lips. “I love you,” Blake said, in a voice barely above a whisper.

Adam was practically buzzing with excitement. “Of course you do. I’m fucking awesome!”

“I hope you understand what you’re getting yourself into,” Blake said, gently. “Because I don’t think I can ever let you go again.”

Adam pursed his lips. “That’s good, because I’m not letting go either.”

Adam breathed into him, hands feeling every inch of Blake’s back, neck and hair. Everything felt like it went straight into place. Blake broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to Adam’s. They stayed there, swaying in their place for a couple of seconds. Adam didn’t say a word. He just enjoyed Blake’s presence, his soft breath on his face, his taste in his mouth and his strong arms around him.

Blake eventually sat on one of the chairs, pulled Adam into his lap and kissed every inch of his face and neck. They kissed again and again, breathing into each other. The room was so quiet, except for their lips smacking, their heavy breathing and low gasps.

“I missed you.” Adam pressed their foreheads together again. “I missed you so much.”

“Yeah?”

Adam nodded. “Too much.” He hugged Blake and buried his face in the crook of his neck. “I miss the way you smelled, your lips, everything about you. I wish I could just hug you like this all day long!”

Blake hugged him back and took a deep breath himself. He didn’t say anything. He just kissed the side of Adam’s neck.

Adam looked at Blake. “I love you.”

Blake chuckled and cupped Adam’s cheeks, and put a long kiss on his forehead, and one more on his lips. “How are things outside?”

Adam pursed his lips and shrugged. “Normal. I moved to my parents’ house, and kind of fixed a few things around. I had dinner with friends and my family visited, which was nice.”

“Why did you move out?”

The corner of Adam’s mouth twitched. “I dunno. I guess I’m still scared.” he said, truthfully. “I keep imagining her, just lying there. I don’t know. I just can’t go back.”

Blake looked into Adam’s eyes for a while and said nothing. He felt Adam’s hair, and the shorter guy just melted in the familiar feeling.

Adam nodded, before he bit the bottom lip. “Do you think we can, you know?” Adam said, pressing his forehead to Blake’s. His fingers were playing with the necklace around Blake’s neck. “I kind of miss you.”

Blake smiled. “We can,” he said as he glanced over at something behind Adam. “But you know this is not just a mirror, right?”

Adam looked over his shoulder and sighed. He knew they were double windows. There could be people behind them, listening and watching. Adam nodded, a little disappointed.

Blake looked at him for a few seconds. “I thought you were said you won’t have sex with me, to make me miss you?”

Adam pursed his lips. “True.” He leaned over and put a long kiss on Blake’s neck, and then he took it down to Blake’s shoulder. He felt cold metal under his lips and found out that it was the chain of Blake’s necklace. “I just want you too much already.”

“I want you too,” he admitted. “But we can’t.”

Adam nodded, then bowed his head and started moving Blake’s necklace between his fingers. “Did you have a nightmare?”

Blake stayed quiet for a couple of second then said, “Why would you ask that?”

Adam looked at him in the eyes and shrugged. “You don’t always wear your necklace.”

Blake looked at the necklace in Adam’s hand for a long moment, saying nothing. Adam just examined it and tried to read the name on the back. “Tollison Shelton.” There was some kind of number under it.

“It belonged to my grandfather,” Blake said, reaching to hold the necklace in his hand. “He was in the military. He died when my father was only ten. This was all he had. My father kept it all these year, and now I have it.” He stayed quiet as he eyed the piece of metal.

“Does it help you sleep?”

Blake looked up in Adam’s eyes. “Not really. It just makes me feel that I am not on my own at night.”

“You’re not alone,” Adam said, holding Blake’s hand between the ones of his own. “You have a lot of people who care for you.”

Blake nodded. “I know.”

Adam smiled and put a kiss on Blake’s cheek. “Just think of me before you got to bed. That’s what I do when I can’t sleep at night. I imagine that I’m with you.”

Blake smiled too. “Does it help?”

“Sometimes it works like a charm. Other times it turns me on so much that I can’t sleep at all,” Adam admitted, making Blake smile. His smile warmed Adam’s heart. “You have no idea how much I miss it right now!”

“I can arrange something next week.”

He nuzzled in Blake’s neck, kissed softly. He opened his mouth and sucked softly on the scented skin. Blake leaned into him, his breathing heavy. Adam kissed behind Blake’s ear, threading his fingers through Blake’s soft hair. He was so horny at this point, and almost unstoppable. “Please touch me! I don’t care if there are people watching.”

“No one watches my visits, Adam, but it’s not the place.” Blake’s hand traced a line along Adam’s jaw and then held his chin up for a kiss. “Next week. We can spend the whole day together.”

Adam’s eyes lit up. “Full day? Is it legal?”

Blake shook his head, no, a mischievous smile in his eyes. “Let me worry about that, okay?”

Adam nodded. “Okay.”

As they got up, ready to leave, Blake made a little noise of appreciation. “You walk around with those jeans?”

Adam looked at him with a silly smile and pursed his lips. “What’s wrong with my jeans? I like them.”

“Me too,” Blake said, staring at Adam’s ass. “But I can’t help but worry someone might like it a bit too much too.”

Adam rolled his eyes and turned around. “No one stares at my ass, pervert.”

“Well, you can’t see what I’m seeing.”

Adam hummed, stood on his tip toes and kissed him. “It’s too bad, but I like my jeans. Maybe if you broke out, I’ll let you change my entire closet?”

“Maybe I’ll pull you out of the closet with me.”

“Please do, it gets dark sometimes.”  
Blake chuckled and kissed him. “You’re impossible to hate.”

“You can’t hate an angel, baby.”

“It really is.”

 

~~******** ~~

 

Adam had been so excited about that Friday all week. His body was practically buzzing. He made sure everything was set, and made sure to let his uncle know that he needed a day off. His uncle was kind enough to let him have it. On Thursday, Adam had already gotten everything ready for the visit on Friday. He chose his outfit carefully, cleaned around and made sure that the alarm still worked. Everything was perfect when he went to bed.

He couldn’t wait.

In the morning, Adam woke up and put on a fresh pot of coffee as he went outside to get the newspaper. He was still trying to figure out how to cancel the service. No one read newspapers anymore. When he came back to the kitchen, he fried some eggs, put four slices of bread in the toaster and poured some coffee in his mug. It was a normal morning, nothing unusual.

After his breakfast was ready, he sat down on a stool at the island, and ate his breakfast as he listened to the morning radio. He had his phone in his hand as he strolled down his home page on Facebook. The main page was buzzing with news about some kind of fire, but he chose not to read them. He was in a good mood and wanted to stay like that.

After breakfast, Adam went for a long shower, then put on a robe and went back downstairs. When he turned on the TV, the man’s voice on the news channel was too loud, talking about a fire. Adam changed the channel to NBC and sat down on the couch with his phone.

Around ten, Adam got up and went to his room to dress up. He called a cab as he did so. He put on his carefully picked clothes on, a black leather jacket, a white t-shirt and some skinny jeans. He checked himself, making sure he looked his best, and then went downstairs. He poured himself some more coffee, and started sipping as he put the dishes in the sink.

Suddenly, there were knocking at the door, which startled Adam a little. He assumed it was the cab driver, and went to open the door.

Adam’s eyes widened when his eyes fell on his visitor. “Behati?”

He was surprised to see her, especially like that. She was in her pajamas, white robe, and bunny flip-flops. He would have laughed if it weren’t for the look on her face. Her eyes were wet with tears, the tip of her nose was red and her cheeks flushed. She didn’t say anything. She just stared at Adam with tears in her eyes.

“Behati what’s wrong?

She hugged him so tight. “I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry, Adam!”

Adam patted on her back, still not sure what was going on. The taxi driver arrived. Adam gestured for him to wait one minutes. “It’s okay, it’s okay, just tell me what’s wrong?”

She looked at him, like she was struggling to choose the right words. “You can’t see Blake today...”

Adam frowned and interrupted her. “What are you talking about? My taxi is already here!”

“He died... in the fire. He died in the fire!” Behati said, tears still welling her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Adam. God, I’m so sorry!”

Adam shook his head. His heart slowed down so much that Adam thought it was going to stop. “W-what are you talking about? What fire?” He remembered the news on his phone and TV.

“There was a fire in LA private prison. Blake was one of the casualties.”

Adam shook his head again. “No. There must be a mistake. I’m going to visit him today! Blake can’t die!” Adam said, refusing to believe. “He promised he won’t die!”

Behati looked sorry. “Adam...?”

“No! I’m going to him. He is going to be there, and I’ll even take a photo of him for you, okay?”

Behati shook her head. “The forensics confirmed it, Adam. He’s de-”

“Don’t you even dare!” Adam interrupted as he took his keys and his wallet in his jacket. “I have to go now. I don’t want to be late.”

Behati tried to stop him. “Please, Adam...!”

Adam didn’t listen and walked past her to the cab. He got in and gave the driver the address. He was shaking, his heart aching in anxiety and his eyes burning with tears. The driver had the radio on and suddenly the word “fire” took Adam’s attention.

“...We have here, Mr. Stan Richardson, the warden at LA private prison. He’s here to talk to us about one of the most horrific incidents that happened this week in LA,” The interviewer on the radio said. Adam recognized the name, Stan, right away. “So, tell us exactly what happened, Mr. Richardson.”

“Well,” the guest said. “Somewhere around nine o’clock in the evening, the fire alarms in our third block went off. The fire department was contacted to control the fire. It took about four hours to prevent the fire from spreading and to completely put it out. After a thorough investigation, we found traces of gasoline and other accelerants around the prison and close to the kitchen area, especially around the gas pipes. There were a lot of casualties, unfortunately, and we still yet to identify most of the victims. So far, we identified only nine victims, and there’re still over seventeen in the morgue who are yet to be identified. The fire burned most of the bodies, so no DNA could be obtained. We had to rely on the dental records.”

“That’s unfortunate indeed,” The interviewer said. “Some people say that the person who started the fire had a target. Some even say that Blake Shelton, the head of Rees Corporation for weapons manufacturing, was that target. Can you confirm the news, Mr. Richardson?”

Stan cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, yes.”

Adam’s heart sank to the floor.

“One of the most distinguishable victims was Blake Shelton, and his associates, Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean. He is, excuse me, he was the head of the Rees Weapons Corporation, yes, and was one of the most powerful men that ever stayed in our prison. He...”

Adam blanked out after that, no longer heard or saw anything. He just sat in his place in the back seat, wrapped his arms around himself and rocked his body back and forth. He couldn’t believe what they were saying, couldn’t give up. This could be all just a big mistake. Most media served their news with no research, he told himself.

When he arrived to the address, he gave the driver the money and got out. He could hear the man calling for him to give him the change, but he didn’t care.

When he got to the reception, it was hectic there. People were crowding the already small area, the employees were in stress, answering questions, taking calls and asking people to calm down. He had to stay in a line to get a visit. He was shaking, heart aching. When it was finally his turn he told the lady that he needed to visit someone.

She recognized him right away. “You want to see Mr. Shelton?”

For a moment, he felt like she was gonna ask him to wait or give him a hard time, but she didn’t. “You heard the news, right, sweetie?” she said, looking sorry in Adam’s tearful eyes.

“Just, please, I told him I was coming today. I need to see him!”

She didn’t say anything for a second. “Honey, he’s gone.”

Adam shook his head. “Please...” He was shaking uncontrollably. “I promised that I’d come!”

“I’m sorry, but the only thing left from him is his body.”

He shook his head. “I want to see him still. I can tell if it’s actually him. Maybe you’ve got it wrong?” he begged. “Please, I need to see him. Just let me see him!”

“I can get you permission to get into the morgue,” she said. His eyes squeezed shut at the word “morgue.” “But I don’t advise you to see him in this state. So, are you sure?”

Adam wiped his tears in his sleeves and nodded.

She sighed. Still, she pulled out a paper and asked him to fill it in. After Adam did, she signed it and sent Adam with someone to the morgue.

 

~~******** ~~

 

It was cold, _the morgue_.

“Dr. Kalan,” the guy who took Adam to the morgue called. A man in a white coat appeared from behind the curtains. “He’s here to identify a body. Blake Shelton.”

“The bodies have been identified already,” the doctor said in a thick Russian accent making Adam’s heart break even more. “Besides, it’s too damaged to be identified. All physical features are gone.”

The man next to Adam shrugged. “He still wants to see it.”

The doctor shrugged, looked at Adam, and gestured for him to follow. He did. The doctor took him to a short aisle that had wide drawers stacked on top of each other on both sides. Adam was still wrapping himself in his own arms, shaking.

The doctor stopped at one drawer and looked at Adam. “Are you sure you want to see him like this? I’d advise you not to. Seeing loved ones like this could be devastating.”

Adam didn’t listen. He needed to know if it was Blake.

The man pulled the drawer out and cold fog spread around. It disappeared in short seconds, but the air got colder. The body looked small, covered in a white sheet, which gave Adam a little hope. Blake was a tall guy.

The man looked at Adam once again, as if to make sure Adam really wanted to do this. Adam nodded at him. The doctor took one more second just in case Adam changed his mind, and then uncovered the body. Adam’s heart almost stopped. He took a step back, and gasped. “Oh my god!”

The corpse was pitch black. The flesh on the skull wasn’t even there, so it was only charred bones and teeth. Adam covered his mouth as he stepped forward again. The body’s legs were broken off and put to its right side, which was why the body looked small. Adam couldn’t even tell if it was Blake or not. “How did you even know it was him?”

“Dental records,” the doctor said, making Adam’s heart ache. “It matched Blake’s.”

Adam didn’t want to believe, he shook his head. “But two people can have the same teeth, ri-?”

The words froze in Adam’s throat as some kind of metal shone as it reflected the lights of the ceiling. It was fused within what left of the flesh around the neck. His heart dropped and tears started falling uncontrollably from his eyes. His lips were shivering, unable to utter one word.

“Are you okay?” The doctor asked.

Adam just reached over and touched the shining metal. It was Blake’s necklace.

The doctor understood. He grabbed a pair of tweezers and pulled the necklace out. He cleaned it in some alcohol and gave it to Adam.

Adam stared at it in his hand, tears, falling on top of it like rain. “He promised!”

“I’m so sorry,” the doctor said, covering the body again, and pushed the drawer shut. “You can have the necklace if you want.”

Adam didn’t know what happened after that, or how he got out of the prison. He remembered the lady at the reception offering to get him a cab, and him refusing. He just walked away, lost.

The one person he truly loved was taken away from him. How was he supposed to recover from that?


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was not supposed to be posted today. But there you go. All thanks to the beautiful angel, Fun. You're awesome, Luv. Thank you, and I hope you get better soon. *Hugs*

After Adam left the prison, he walked down the street, half blinded by his tears. He was sure he was walking in the wrong direction, but didn’t bother to change his path. He just let his feet take him wherever. He had Blake’s necklace in his tight grip. It was the only thing he felt, the only thing he was aware of and the only thing that he had left from Blake.

As he walked, he noticed a black van stopping just a few yards from him and three men getting out. At first, Adam didn’t pay them any attention. He was still grieving from his loss. But then one of the three men looked him in the eyes as he talked to someone on the phone.

“We’ve found him,” the man said, as he started walking towards Adam, carefully as if he was approaching prey. Adam stopped in his place, just watching the three men walking his way. They were wearing jeans and shirts, hair slicked back, and looking oddly greasy. They didn’t look like they wanted any good to do with Adam. Adam took a step back, getting ready for a potential fight.

“Levine?” The man in the middle said, he was in a green shirt. The man on the right had a black shirt and the man on the left had a white one.

“What do you want?”

The man in white shirt looked him dead in the eyes. “We just want to talk.”

He shook his head.

The man in green clutched Adam’s arm, and pulled him close. At the same time, the man in white pulled out a syringe and walked towards Adam. Adam jerked the man’s hand away, kicked him in the groin, and punched him across the face when he fell on his knees. In less than three seconds, Adam was running in the opposite direction.

The two other men started chasing him a second after they processed what had just happened.

“I told you he won’t cooperate!” the man in black screamed at his friend. “We should have just pulled him into the van.”

“Never mind that now, idiot!” the man in white screamed back. “Just go this way, and I’ll go this one.”

Adam was much faster than them. He was smaller, not bound with tons of buff muscles like they had, plus those classes in self-defense really did his leg muscles some good. As he ran along the wide road, he decided to look over his shoulder to see his location from the other men. He found only one of the three men running behind, the man in black.

He didn’t have to wonder where the other two were, because when he looked ahead again, he saw the other two coming out from different streets. The man in white came on foot, while the man in green was in his car. Adam looked around and saw a narrow alley between two buildings on his right, so he loped through it to the next street.

Then he started running again on the side walk, among the crowd, hoping to lose the three men. His heart was pounding so hard and so fast, his breathing going at the speed of light. The man in the car got out at some point, when Adam chose to escape through a heavily crowded street. Sadly, it didn’t take long before the three men found him again. They split up and followed him. Adam didn’t stop, not even when he felt his lungs tighten, begging for a break.

He tried to take random streets, spontaneous patterns to confuse them, but at least one of them managed to find him every time. After a few minutes for constant running, Adam couldn’t spot them anywhere, so, he hid in a corner between two buildings. He was panting so fast, chest so tight and hands clutching at his cramped muscles on his left side.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take too long before they found him. Adam grunted in frustration. He held on Blake’s necklace as he looked around. He didn’t know where he was. Still, he was ready to run again. When he turned to the right, he found that the other two men had found him too. So, he was trapped between the men on both sides and the wall behind and in front of him.

There was no way for him to escape, so he decided to fight. He put Blake’s necklace in his pockets, ready to attack.

“Now we’ve got you.”

Adam grunted, bolted towards the man in black and started punching at him. The man was much taller and bigger than he was, but thanks to some of the moves he learned both at prison and the class, Adam didn’t get punched not even once, stopped all the man’s attacks and even caused some damage to the guy’s face and stomach.

The other men were quick to the rescue. The guy in green pulled Adam away from his friend by grabbing Adam from behind, fixing his arms behind his back so he was helpless. The man in white came in front of him, and pulled out the syringe from his pocket. Adam growled at him, and tried to kick him but, the man avoided his feet. He got even closer and stuck the needle in Adam’s neck.

Adam grunted and kicked again. The man stumbled back and fell on one knee. The man holding Adam in place let him go, knowing Adam was not going to be a problem in the near future. Adam tried to run again, but couldn’t get far away from them. He felt dizzy right away. His vision blurred out. He looked at the three men as they walked to him slowly. He was scared, alone. He dropped on his knees and then flat on his stomach on the dirty ground.

“For god’s sake.” Adam heard one man say. They probably thought he was gone by then, but he was still half aware of what was going on. He just couldn’t move. “I thought they said that he was harmless!”

“Blake,” Adam called for Blake, weakly. He barely heard his voice himself.

“Let’s just take him. The airplane is about to take off,” the other man said. His feet were right at Adam’s face “I’m done for the day. I h...”

Adam’s eyes closed and the sounds dimmed. He was passing out.

 

~~******** ~~

 

There was a repugnant scent lingering around. It smelled like a road kill, only worse. Adam tried to bring his hand up to cover his nose, but his body was not responding to his commands. His head was hurting and spinning. He tried again to move, but there was something binding his hands and legs to a solid structure. Adam groaned as he tried to free himself. There was something tight around his wrists, digging into his skin and almost blocking the blood circulation, and around his ankles too.

Suddenly, water splashed over his face, almost getting down to his lungs, drowning him. He gasped out loud, and his eyes snapped open as he coughed and struggled to take a full breath. He was in a room, a dark room. The only light he had was from a lamp hanging down off the ceiling by a wire. Adam looked around and saw three men grinning and looking down at him. His arms were bound behind a chair and his ankles to the legs of the seat.

 “Who are you?” Adam asked. His heart was pounding in fear. These men did not look like they brought him here for a chat, not with these guns and knives at their belts. “Where am I?”

 Then Adam remembered Blake's death and his heart ached. His hands tightened into fists.

 “Welcome to my humble home,” a familiar voice said in the dark. Adam heard shoes crunching on the ground, getting closer. There was another sound, a fainter one, like a cigarette lighter. When the voice’s owner came under the light, Adam's stomach dropped to his feet and his eyes went wide. “Welcome to Italy.”

 His eyes went wide. “Louis?”

 The pale man laughed, before he sucked some smoke from his cigarette. “I bet you weren’t expecting me!”

 Adam gritted his teeth, now knowing who had started the fire. Who had killed Blake. “You killed him! You fucking monster, you killed him!”

 Louis laughed again. “Why is it so surprising? Didn't I promise that I'll do just that? Although I couldn’t lock eyes with him as he died, I consider this a complete victory.”

 Adam's blood was boiling in his veins. “You fucking low life!” he screamed at Louis. His eyes welled with tears. “You worthless fuck! How could you?! No wonder your father chose Blake over you, you cold son of a bitch!”

 Louise smile disappeared. His hand rose in the air, and a punch landed on Adam's face so hard that the chair fell on the floor, taking Adam with it. Adam grunted as he fell on his shoulder almost dislocating it. He felt the dirty floor under his temple and oh god, did the smell of it make him gag. It was like he buried his nose in cow shit.

 “Get him up," Louis ordered. His men immediately grabbed the chair with Adam and fixed it back up. The pale man walked to Adam and stood a few inches from him. “Let’s not mention my old man again, okay? That man wasn’t capable of loving anyone but the orphans he found on the streets. I mean, I was right in front of him, but after my twin brother died, he lost his mind. I was never enough anymore. Nothing was ever enough for him! Until, Mr. Shelton with all his perfection appeared in the picture and suddenly, he was the golden child.”

 Adam gritted his teeth. “Do you think he had it easy? Do you think he actually wanted to grow up like this?” he spat out. “I knew him. I know he’d have rather had his family back to have all the power your dad gave to him!”

 “Don’t you see?” Louis said. “That’s the problem! He doesn’t care! He doesn’t want all this. I did! I could have made our name so big! Do you know that I could have turned the Deer’s money into billions within two months? I could have made these sons of bitches so rich they could swim in a pool of dollars bills!”

 “With cocaine?” Adam challenged.

 “You’re damn right with cocaine,” he said, proudly. “But, no. My father had to change his will and give everything to an orphan he saved in the hospital!”

 “Your father was a good man, unlike you.”

 Louise hissed. “You see, this is exactly why I don’t think we’re going to get along very well together,” he said as he walked another step towards Adam. “I was gonna give you a chance to submit to me, be my little pet. As much as I dislike your cheekiness, I like your little body. I will let you live under my roof, well, not here in the basement, I’m not a rude host. You’ll have your own wing.”

 “I’d rather jump in front of a train a thousand times!”

 Louise jaw muscles clenched. “You know I destroy what I can’t have.” He leaned over so he was face to face with Adam. “I mean, you saw your boyfriend’s body, right? He looks like a burnt piece of steak! Do you think he screamed as he died?”

 Adam grunted. He had an open shot at this guy, and he decided to take it. He tilted his head back and then brought it forward with so much force, banging his forehead into Louis' nose. The pale man grunted and backed away with his hand on his nose. The blood was gushing in a continuous stream from between his fingers.

 “You fucking bitch!” he growled as he slapped Adam with the back of his free hand and then again on the other cheek. Adam groaned. “Give me a fucking gun,” Louis ordered.

 Adam's body tensed, his heart started pounding in his chest. “Kill me, I don’t care!”

 “Oh baby, I am not going to kill you, at least not now!” One of his men gave him the gun. “I couldn’t look in Blake’s face and watch him die, which was a bummer.” He aimed the gun at Adam’s shoulder. “I'm gonna show you true hell on Earth. I'm gonna make you beg me for mercy, but I'll...”

 “Sir?” a voice came from the dark, interrupting his threats. Then a man came to where the light was, holding a laptop. Louis grunted and howled at him for interrupting. The man simply showed him a video. “You need to see this, sir.”

 Adam couldn't watch the screen from his place but he heard a female voice announcing the new owner of Rees Companies, George Rees. Louis took the laptop from his assistant and played the video again and then again. With every second that passed he was getting angrier. When the video was over, Louis smashed the laptop on the floor and stepped on it, screaming like a madman.

 “That son of a bitch!” he screamed at the laptop. “I can't believe he actually used that name, that miserable son of a bitch!”

 Then in a haze of anger, he shoved the gun muzzle to Adam’s forehead. Adam squeezed his eyes shut and did a little prayer in his head.

 “Sir?” the assistant called.

 “What?!”

 The assistant stayed quiet for a second, not appreciating the tone in Louis’ voice. “We can use him," he said finally, looking at Adam. “To get the company, and the Deer’s head. If you know what I mean.”

 Louis' anger visibly started to fade away the more he thought about it. Then, he looked at Adam, and did some math in his head. Adam did not know what was going on but he was terrified. The gun muzzle felt cold on his forehead.

 Suddenly Louis smiled. “Antoine, you're a genius, darling!”

 The assistant looked pleased with himself. “Do I make the call, sir?”

 Louis smiled at him. “Right away.”

 The assistant excused himself and walked away. Louis turned to Adam. His smirk couldn't get wider even if he tried to. “I guess your boyfriend managed to escape after all.”

Adam's heart skipped a beat, eyes wide open. “What?”

“Hmm, for the first time I'm actually happy he’s not dead! Well, I'm still mad I failed, but at least now I have his sweet spot right in my hand!”

Adam couldn’t believe him. He had Blake’s necklace in his pocket, he saw his body. He shook his head. “I saw his body!” A tear rolled down his face. “It was him! I saw his dead body!”

Louis set his jaw. “It could be. Using my dead brother's name could be a cruel message from the Deer, but only he has the balls to do something like that. If he's alive, I'm gonna use every drop of your blood to get my father's money back!” He paused for a second. “And the sweet thing is, he’s actually going to sign the paper. For your pretty face.”

With that, Louis and his men left, leaving Adam in that poorly lit room, alone and scared. He just sat there thinking about what Louis had just said. Could Blake be really alive? Did he fake his death? The idea brought some peace to his heart. Blake said that they were going to spend the whole day together. Was that his plan?

Adam smiled through his tears, but then remembered what he'd seen in the morgue, and his smile faded. Blake's necklace. Why would it be there if Blake wasn't dead? Besides, the doctor said that the dental records matched. His heart ached again, tearing apart. He stayed in this state for long hours, wanting to believe and not being able to.

Adam looked around for an exit. There was a window behind him that he could probably fit through it. He saw nothing around but a table, torn books laying on the floor, and a freshly emptied beer bottle on the table behind him slightly to the right.

It'd been too long since these men left, and Adam didn't stop trying to get the ropes off of him. The rough material of the rope was eating at his wrists. He was getting frustrated, and finally gave up on this idea. He looked around for something else to help him, and figured that he could break the beer bottle and use its sharp edges to cut the rope. It was not too far away from him, too. If he could just drag his chair to it, he could easily reach for it with his mouth.

He stiffened his legs and used the tip of his toes to push the chair backward. It didn't work. It barely moved the chair anywhere. Adam was ready to cry. He tried again, but the chair only rocked and fell on the floor. Adam just stayed there, helpless and bound. All he could do now was pray for strength. The lack of activity, his still drugged out brain, and his tired muscles eventually put him to sleep.

 

**~~****~~ **

 

When the morning came, Adam opened his eyes slowly, and saw that the light came from the window and lit the room a bit. He heard people talking. Louis came in with one of his men. He was talking on the phone, a little smirk on his lips. He signaled to his guy to fix Adam's chair, so the man did.

“Aha, I can do that,” Louis said looking Adam up and down. “One minute. Okay two! I won't go higher, sweetie, so don't be greedy now.” He paused to listen to the other person on the phone. “Sure thing, there you go.” Louis walked to Adam and put the phone on his ear. “It’s for you. Your boyfriend.”

Adams pulse packed up and his eyes went wide. He was too shocked to talk.

“Adam?” Blake's voice came through, making tears fall out of Adam’s eyes. “Are you okay?”

He couldn’t find his voice.

“Listen, Adam, I only have two minutes here. I need to know you’re okay!"

“I saw your _body_!”

“You shouldn’t have been there, baby. I sent my men to your house, but, you were already at the morgue.”

 “I thought you...!”

Blake interrupted him. “I know, baby. I’m sorry.” Blake said. “But right now, I need to know you’re okay.”

“I’m okay.”

“Did they hurt you?”

Adam looked up at the two men, scared. “I’m fine, Blake.” He hated the smiles on their lips. “They’re going to kill you.” Louis chuckled. “Please don’t come! I can’t lose you again! I’ll be fine.”

Blake stayed quiet for a second. “That’s not an option for me. I can't let anyone hurt you, Adam. I'm coming to you. It's going to be okay. I’m already in Italy.”

Louis looked in his watch.

“Would you do something for me, Adam?” Blake asked, gently.

“ _Anything_.”

“If there's any way to escape, I mean any way, don't give up on it and don’t look back. Okay? Promise me."

“I…” He didn’t know what Blake meant by this. “I promise. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Okay that’s two minutes.” Then the phone disappeared and went to Louis’ ear. “Happy? Now let’s talk business.”

 Louis left Adam with the man that came with him. The big man opened a bottle of water and put it in front of Adam. Adam didn’t want to take anything from them, but he was dehydrated and already exhausted. So, he accepted the water. The man lifted it for him, until Adam was done. Then, the man turned around and walked away to the door.

Adam waited a couple minute to think of a way to move to the beer bottle, and decided to try his previous method again. He pressed his feet on the floor and pushed. He only moved a couple of inches at a time, so he combined his movement with as much of a hob that he could manage. He pushed and hopped to the table, getting used to a rhythm that his body set. It took some time to get to the table, but when he did, he felt some tension drop off of his shoulder. He positioned himself parallel to the table and tried to reach for the bottle with his mouth, but it was too far. He rocked the table with his shoulder, careful with the sound, and keeping his eyes on the door.

The bottle finally fell on its side and rolled towards the edge. Adam panicked when he couldn’t catch it with his mouth. Thankfully, it fell in his lap. Carefully, Adam leaned forwards and grasped the narrow part with his teeth, swiveled around and let it fall to his bound hand. He didn’t catch it and almost screamed in frustration. He stayed in his place for the longest moment, not sure what to do anymore. How was he supposed to reach or it now? Suddenly an idea sparked in his mind and he was all action again.

He pushed and hopped the chair, turned it around until the bottle was just behind him. He pressed his feet solid on the ground again and rocked his chair back and forth. He knew it was going to hurt like hell, but he was desperate. The chair finally fell backwards and the wood crushed the bottle. His body muffled the sound of the broken bottle. Some pieces cut his skin as he felt around looking for the biggest piece. When he found one, he grasped it tight in his hand. His body relaxed a little when he could reach the rope with the sharp edge of the glass.

He held the glass with an angle and started cutting. The edges were blunt, but still did some damage to the rope as well as to his skin. He could feel it digging into his skin, scratching. Adam didn’t stop though. He went at it for a long time. It was definitely more than two hours. His now-injured hand was shaking with pain as moved the glass back and forth over the offensive, thick rope.

Finally the robe snapped. Adam took a moment, still in disbelief. Carefully he spread his hands away from each other and the rope just slipped down. Adam almost cried, but he had no time for that. He freed his hands as quickly as he could and immediately went down, cutting on the rope around his ankles.

It didn’t take too long this time, now he was in full control. When he was fully free from his bounds, Adam took a second to stretch his limbs, getting blood to circulate normally again. Then, he got up on his feet, relocated the chair in its original position and went straight to the window. It was a sliding window, made out of glass and some rusting metal. He opened it and sized it with his hand. There was no way he could fit in that.

Suddenly, Adam heard a sound at the door. Quickly Adam reached for a bigger piece of glass, sat back in his chair and put his hands behind it. A man came in alone and walked towards Adam.

“Your boyfriend is here,” he said, making Adam’s heart skip a beat. The big man’s eyes noticed the window, so he walked to it. “Hey, who opened this window?”

Adam took the advantage of him not paying attention and got up. Quietly, he picked up the chair, held it up high and crushed it on top of the man’s head. The wood was hard, and of a high quality so the man collapsed on the floor immediately, unconscious with a bleeding head.

Immediately, Adam used what was left from the rope and tied the man. As he got up on his feet, he saw the man’s gun at his belt. He took a look at the glass in his hand before he decided to ditch it for the gun. Then he grabbed the keys from the man’s belt and headed for the door. He opened it slightly, just a small crack, enough to see what was outside.

There was a long hallway that led to a seating area of brown couches and chairs. There were four doors, two on each side. When Adam made sure there was no one outside, he opened the door wider and went out. He only walked two steps and then froze when the door on his left opened and a man with a glass of scotch came out. It was Antoine, Louis’ assistant. They stared at each other for the longest time. Antoine looked at the gun in Adam’s hand, and slowly walked about until he was on the same line as Adam. “How did you get out?” he asked. His hand was moving slowly towards his belt.

Adam held his gun up. “Don’t!” he said in full voice.

His hand was shaking violently, which put a smirk on Antoine lips. “Let’s not do something stupid, okay?” Antoine’s arm jerked fast towards his gun and grabbed it.

Adam squeezed his eyes shut and fired two shots that echoed through the entire house. His heart thundered in his chest, for a moment thinking that he was the one who got shot. But there was no pain. He opened his eyes and saw the man on the floor, lifeless. Adam’s hands shook again and he kept staring. The assistant’s gun was just at the tip of his shoes so he bent down and picked it up.

“It came from here,” someone said.

Adam heard footsteps, running and squeaking as they slid on the tiled floor and he freaked out. He didn’t know where to hide. So he opened the door on his right, stepped in and closed the door. He was in a coat closet. He shuffled around until he was behind the wall, hidden between heavy fur coats. He heard people outside and men yelling. Suddenly, the door to the closet opened, and he had to exhale to make his chest smaller. The door opened more and more pushing him against the wall. He was a skinny man naturally, and that just helped him squeeze in the tiny space between the wall and the door.

The light of the closet was turned on and a man’s hand shuffled through the coats. Adam was holding his breath. The guns behind his back and under his belt were digging into his skin. He closed his eyes, praying for patience. Suddenly, two shots came from somewhere around the house, loud and roaring. It almost gave Adam a heart attack. Then he heard a man talking on the radio, asking these men to go to the second floor.

The man at the closet finally left, keeping the door open, and within seconds all the sounds dimmed outside. Adam peeked from behind the door, and only saw the dead man on the floor. He walked out slowly, peering about. When it was clear, he grabbed one of the guns behind his back and walked to the seating area. There was a door there, an open door.

Suddenly, the shooting started again. This time, it barely stopped at all. Adam hid behind one of the couches with his gun up. He heard more footsteps running. He got on his knees and peeked at the area and saw over ten men running towards the stairs.

The gunshots were still on, like thunder. Adam was shaking. He had a wide chance to leave. He could just get out of that door and get away with his skin, and he almost did. Except… Blake.

He thought of Blake. His boyfriend was probably up there in the middle of the fight, risking his life for him. He got up on his feet and ran towards the stairs, where he saw the men go. If Blake was ready to give his life for him, Adam was just as ready to do the same. He followed the loud sound of the guns, which led him down a hallway. His eyes were looking everywhere, to make sure he was not ambushed.

In the distance, he saw a ginger man, crouched at a wall, peeking into a room. He held his gun up and almost shot, if it weren’t for the familiar face. Ed. What the hell was he doing here? Adam ran to him, still holding his gun. He hadn’t forgotten that Ed joined Louis, but still, he was just a kid still figuring out life.

“Ed!” Adam called, quietly, grabbing his friend’s shoulder.

Ed flinched and almost squealed. When he saw Adam, his eyes went wide and welled with tears. “You’re okay!” he said and hugged Adam. “I was so worried. We thought that guy shot you! That’s why they’re fighting!”

Adam nodded. “I’m okay,” he said as he edged his head to look into the room. “Is Blake in there?”

“Yes,” Ed said. His voice was trembling. “He was mad I came with them. He barely got me out of the room.”

“You came with him? I thought you were with Louis now?”

Ed shook his head. “Blake asked me to get closer to Louis to figure out what he was planning. So, Luke and I pretended to fight… well, I was. That jerk actually punched me!”

Adam was dumbfounded, staring at Ed in astonishment. “You were a plant?”

Ed nodded. “I’m the one who told Blake how Louis was going to start the fire, and that’s how we used it to escape.”

“What about the bodies in the morgue?”

 “Blake asked the warden, Stan, to take care of that. He owes Blake,” he said, peeking inside again. The firefight stopped and the sounds seemed quieter. “He replaced the bodies. We were out three hours before the fire sta– Oh, no. I think they’re out of bullets! Louis asked them to come without guns.”

A bullet passed right in front of them and settled in the wall on the right. Adam glued himself to the wall, and held up a protective arm to push Ed against the wall too. The hall was huge, with four wide round columns. Adam saw Luke leaning against one of them to hide from the gunshots coming from the other end of the room. Adam almost called out for him, but the blond man got on his knees, turned around and started shooting at someone at the back.

From his place, Adam could count six men left, scattered all over the hall. There were men with guns hiding behind the couches, tables, and doors and two on either side of Louis. Adam tried to locate Blake, but a close by shot startled him, so he returned to his position and glued his back to the wall. He remained in his place for a few minutes. He heard Louis’ voice.

“C’mon, Shelton,” Louis yelled. “Come out! I’ll take care of your injury. Or do you want to bleed to death?” His voice roared with laughter after that.

Adam couldn’t focus on what the man said next. All he could think about it was Blake. He got shot? His heart started pounding hard as he attempted to take one more look. Luke was still hiding behind a column. He looked defeated. His gun dropped from his hand. Finally Adam could spot Blake. He was behind a wall, holding his arm. There was blood dripping from under his shirt. Jason was behind a couch, he too looked like he was ready to give up.

Adam measured the distance between him and Blake and found that it was not much. However, he was closer to Luke. Suddenly, Blake stepped out of his location, shot the man behind the couch and slid back to his place. A machine gun started shooting, breaking the stones of the columns. Luke and Blake braced themselves until the shooting stopped.

Adam looked at Ed and took a deep breath. “I’m going in. There’s no one downstairs. You’ll find a phone in the seating area. Call Blake’s friends if you know their numbers.”

Ed nodded. “I do,” he said. “I know the hotel number. It’s not far from here.”

 “Good,” Adam said. “Call them, tell them to come fast.”

“What if the phone doesn’t work?”

Adam gulped. “Find another or a cell phone. There’s a guy in the hallway. He’s dead. He may have a cell phone on him.”

Ed nodded and immediately ran down the hallway to the stairs. When he was out of sight, Adam took a few deep breaths and looked at the floor. There were a few bullet shells. He grasped one off the floor, aimed at Luke and threw it at him. It hit his face, startling him. He looked in Adam’s direction and his face dropped. He was speechless. Adam held his gun up, and pointed at him with his free hand. With one last breath he sprinted towards Luke. That small space felt like forever, especially when Louis’ friend started shooting at him. Thankfully, Adam managed to get to Luke in one piece.

“Are you out of your damn mind?” Luke yelled at him in a hushed, restrained voice. “You could have been killed!”

Adam ignored that. “I have two guns.”

Luke set his jaw and looked in Adam’s hand. “You mean a gun?”

Adam reached behind his back and pulled out the other one. “No, two!”

Luke’s shoulder sagged a little, and he grabbed one of them. “How many bullets?”

“I only shot two out of this one,” he shook the one in his hand.

“You killed someone?”

Adam nodded. “He was going to kill me!”

Luke clenched his jaw and nodded. Then, he looked at Blake on his side. Adam was surprised to see that he had a full view of him. Blake was staring at him with a disapproving frown. His neck was clenched and eyes squinted. Luke grabbed Adam’s arm and peeked at the back.

“It’s gonna get a little loud,” he said. “Stay close to me.”

Adam nodded.

Swiftly, he went out of his hidden place and shot at Louis and his friends. They got out of the way, and hid behind the other two columns. Luke flipped a couch and they hid behind it with the cushions leaning against them a little. He took the gun from Adam’s hand, set it on the floor and slid it down to Blake. Blake caught it successfully.

“You should have left, Adam!” Louis snarled from his place. Then he laughed. “Now I’m gonna have to kill both of you. Isn’t that sweet? You two get to have your wish, by staying together forever!”

Luke looked at Adam as he counted the bullets in his gun. “I’ll distract them while you go to Blake.”

Adam nodded. Luke got on one knee, aimed his gun at his target and started shooting, Louis’ men stayed in their places, except for two, who unsuccessfully shot at Luke’s place. Meanwhile, Adam did as Luke instructed. He got on his feet and bolted towards Blake. Someone shot at him and unfortunately, it grazed the skin on his cheek. It burned.

Blake caught him and took the life of the man who shot Adam. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Blake yelled at him, grabbing his arm hard.

Adam held his face in both hands and kissed him. He couldn’t believe it was real, Blake was alive, and he was in his arms, breathing. “Don’t you fucking dare yell at me! I had a long day, so get us out of here!”

 Blake’s eyes lit with determination as he looked around. Louis was still babbling bullshit and roaring laughter, but with time Adam learned to just ignore the asshole. “I will get you to Jason. Stay with him and don’t move.”

“Got it,” Adam said. They kissed again, before Blake turned around.

“I’ll distract them, you go,” Blake said, looking over at the couch where a man hid. “Now!”

Adam moved under the shower of bullets that followed Blake’s order, heart thumping hard in his chest. It was a miracle that he managed to get to Jason. When he did, he immediately ducked and hid behind the table. Jason was injured, and a thick piece of cloth was wrapped around his thigh. He looked like death but managed to smile at him. He told Adam that everything was going to be okay, and held Adam’s hand tight. He was in pain, and Adam could do nothing but stand there helplessly.

“I asked Ed to call the hotel,” Adam said, lowly and in a reassuring voice. “Your friends are on the way. Just… just hang in there!”

Adam peeked from the above the edge of the table, and saw that everyone was not shooting, but in fact talking. Louis was telling his old sapping story, while Blake responded with his usual calm self. Adam looked right and left and noticed a dead man of Louis’ behind a table. He had a gun, one of those big guns. Adam decided to get it.

Jason tried to stop him but, Adam insisted. He crawled on his hands and knees, scanned the are behind the table. There were only three men left with Louis. Both had automatic guns. These men were not paying attention to him or Jason and only stood in the middle of the room. Adam crawled even more towards the dead man. His knees pressed over some broken glass and crushed it. The sound caught the men’s attention, and they shot at its direction. Adam grunted, got up on his feet and sprinted towards the gun and grabbed it. Blake and Luke started shooting at the same time, and he heard two men grunting and something heavy drop on the floor.

Adam peered at hall from his place and saw only one man standing in the middle of the room with his gun aimed towards his friend’s location. He held his gun up and aimed at him. When he clicked to shoot, nothing came out. Great, he risked his life for an empty gun.

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his scalp as tight fist gripped a fistful of his hair, pulling him up on his feet. Louis. Adam grunted, and was dragged out of his place by the hair. Louis was laughing when he grabbed Adam under his forearm and held him in place.

“Get your dirty hands off me, you fucking low life!” Adam yelled, and tried to kick and scratch, but Louis pointed a gun to his head.

“Now, let’s end this hide and seek game,” he yelled. “Get out of your place, Blake, or I’m going to kill your pretty boy, right here! I’ll give you ten seconds. Oh, don’t forget to drop your gun.”

Adam’s breathing went crazy as the gun pressed harder into his temple. He wished he’d listened to Blake and Jason and stayed in his place. Shit. He knew one day this stubbornness of his was going to get him killed.

“One, two, five…” Louis miscounted on purpose and started laughing. “Seven, eight…”

Suddenly, Blake came out of his place, his hands to his side and gun in his hand. He walked slowly towards Louis. Louis’ man held the gun up and aimed at Blake.

“No!” Louis growled at his man. “He’s mine. I kill him.”

The man kept his gun up, but didn’t fire. Blake stood a yard or two from them and dropped his gun on the floor. “Let him go.”

Louis chuckled. “Now why would I do such reckless thing?”

“I’ll give you the company, and the money. Just let him go.”

Louis hummed and aimed at Blake. “You know,” he started in a deep voice close to Adam’s ear. “I think I changed my mind about the company. I already have millions, and my business is bigger than ever. So, no thank you.”

He fired. The son of a bitch fired. Twice. The two bullets pierced holes in Blake’s chest. Blake grunted and fell on his knees and Adam’s heart went with him. He didn’t know how, but in a blink on an eye all his training came back to him at once, and he was out of Louis’ grip. H pushed the man, punched him, and kicked him, while Luke took care of the last man. The gun fell out of Louis’s hand under the attack and Adam reached for it faster than he’d reached for anything in his life.

Louis staggered back, holding his hand up. He didn’t even have the courage to beg for his life, not that Adam was going to spare him. He shot him, again and again and again until nothing came out of the gun and until Louis was dead on the floor. And even then, Adam’s finger didn’t stop. He just kept firing without bullets.

When he felt a hand tight on his shoulder, he finally stopped and the gun just fell on the floor. He turned around and saw Blake looking up at him, clutching at his chest. Adam ran to him and knelt before him. He held his shoulders and looked at his injuries. They were bloodless, but that was not exactly something to relieve Adam’s panic.

“Please,” Adam begged, holding Blake’s face. “You can’t die, not again.”

Suddenly, there were sounds of sirens outside and car doors closing. Luke pushed Adam out of the way, sat by Blake and ripped his shirt open. To Adam’s relief, there was a bulletproof vest under the blue plaid shirt. Luke undid the belts and pulled the vest off. Blake’s chest was already bruising, but otherwise uninjured. However, his shoulder had a bullet in it, and was still bleeding slightly. Luke rushed to Jason as the paramedics arrived to take him away.

Adam held Blake’s face and kissed him. “Thank god!” He mumbled on Blake’s mouth, kissing him again and again.

“You never listen, do you?” Blake said, looking him in the eyes, fondly. “You almost got yourself killed!”

“I love you too, asshole.”

Blake smiled.

A few minutes later, there were heels clicking on the tiled floor, and at the door stood a slender woman in a fitted black pencil dress and red jacket. She carried a gun in her hand and scanned the place. When she spotted Blake, she walked to him, shoes clicking and eyes focused and angry. Her blond hair was pulled back in a low bun, which made her look even stricter.

“I swear to go you’re going to get yourself killed one day,” she said, crossing her arms at her chest. “Like you couldn’t wait until I got to Italy? Really, Blake?”

“I didn’t need you for this,” he said, holding his hand up. She grabbed it and helped him stand up. Adam got up too, and eyed the girl, wondering who she was.

“Yeah,” she looked around. “Obviously,” she said, sarcastically.

“Did you get Jason?”

She nodded. “He’s in the ambulance on the way to the hospital now. Luke is with him.”

“Blake?” Adam called with a silent question.

Blake looked at him, frowned and looking confused. “What?” Then his he blinked. “Oh, yeah. This is Gwen,” he said, causally pointing at the woman. “Gwen, this is Adam.”

She looked him up and down, and then her lips twisted and then she sighed. “Really? You turned down Marcos for him? You know how long it took me to transfer that boy to your prison? He was tailored for you!”

Adam huffed at the mention of the Latin boy. So, she was behind this.

“No offense,” she told Adam. “But you’re not exactly…”

“His type?” Adam finished for her.

She shrugged.

Adam linked his arms with Blake’s. “He’s not my type either,” he said, looking at Blake’s smiling face. “I love him anyway.”

Blake leaned forwards and kissed him. “Yeah.”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “Alright, we need to get you stitched up. This bullet isn’t going to remove itself.” She pushed Blake forwards and guided him out to the ambulance.

It was a sunny day, warm. The sky was clear, and finally everything felt more peaceful, quiet. For the first time that day, Adam thought that everything was going to be okay. Blake smiled at him from his place in the ambulance. Yeah, everything was definitely going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and for your comments. It's been an amazing experience, thanks for making me feel welcomed.


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